A Referee Collapsed Mid-Game. The Sideline Did Not Wait.

Brock Cole has refereed youth soccer for years. During an October 11 game at the Al Trione Sports Complex in Daphne, Alabama, he felt light-headed in the second half and went down before he could blow his whistle. He was in cardiac arrest.

According to a FOX10 News report from November 4, 2026, people on the sidelines ran onto the field and started chest compressions while someone grabbed an AED from a nearby concession stand. A cardiologist who was watching a game on the next field joined in and later said the bystanders did everything the way it should be done. Doctors then found a 75% blockage in the artery often called the widow maker, plus two other blockages. Cole had double bypass surgery and is recovering.

His wife summed it up: “They didn’t stop. They didn’t wait.”

What this means for your workplace

Three things went right, and none of them depended on having a cardiologist nearby. Someone recognized the emergency and started compressions right away. An AED was close, and someone went to get it. And nobody stopped until help arrived.

Most workplaces will not have a cardiologist on the next field. What they can have is a few trained people on every shift, an AED that everyone can find, and a simple plan for who calls 911, who starts compressions and who brings the AED.

One more detail is worth noticing. Cole felt light-headed just before he collapsed. Chest discomfort, shortness of breath and sudden light-headedness are warning signs worth taking seriously at work. When in doubt, call 911.

Full Code CPR teaches American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED and BLS on-site for teams across the Portland metro area. Request a group quote and we will email your pricing.

Source: FOX10 News, “Saved on the Sideline: How CPR kept a Daphne ref alive,” November 4, 2026.