From pickleball to AED paddles

CRESCO - Oct. 16 is a day to remember for Doug Berg. That is the day he and others saved the life of Dave Bonifas of LaCrosse, Wis.

Berg and his pickleball partner, Gayle Kelm, were playing in a tournament at the River Valley Paddle Battle in Winona, Minn. 

“We were on the court, just getting ready to start one of our matches, when Doug heard a commotion and immediately took off running,” Kelm recalled. “As a former EMT, he recognized someone was in distress and needed help. A fellow player (Bonifas) had collapsed in the spectator area.

“Doug helped reposition him, quickly assessed the situation, and he immediately started chest compressions while calling out for someone to get an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).”

A First Responder and nurse also assisted with CPR and the AED. The nurse shocked Bonifas with the AED, and Berg continued with compressions until the patient’s eyes started to flutter. By the time the fire department and ambulance arrived, Bonifas was already conscious and talking.

Being a retired EMT, Berg has seen this situation play out with a very different outcome. “There were many people who contributed to his recovery, but it was primarily the AED,” he said.

After the excitement had died down, the tournament continued.

“It was a very emotional time,” Kelm said. “We had played against Dave and his wife, Karen, earlier that day. Doug and I ultimately ended up with the third place medal that day. I told him, ‘Do you know what’s even better than a gold medal? Saving a life. You helped save a life today.’”

Ultimately Dave had bypass surgery, was released from the hospital and is recuperating. 

A few weeks later, on Nov. 10, Berg and everyone else involved was invited to a ceremony put on by the ambulance crew. They mentioned how seldom someone survives in a situation like that.

Coincidentally, the day after the tournament, Bonifas was supposed to have a meeting regarding his retirement on Dec. 31.

Without the quick-thinking and response of Berg and others, performing CPR and having an AED machine nearby and using it, he may not have made it to that milestone.