Not Just a Referee

We're joined by triple threat (Paramedic, Water Polo Ref, MAC guy) Jeffrey Molina who tells us about an ordinary high school water polo tournament where one match tried to go into sudden death in the 2nd quarter. A 14 year old boy struggled to get out of the pool during a substitution in the 2nd quarter. When he needed 3 teammates to pull him out, Jeffrey the Referee noticed something was wrong, & sprang into action. Realizing the boy was pulseless, he began CPR & started to direct the most bizarre full arrest of his career. With no equipment, no partner, & an entire water polo tournament around him, Jeffrey manages to get an AED & deliver a shock. After another shock, he gets a pulse back, & then things get crazy. What's it like to be completely on your own to save a kid with no gear? How do you switch from referee to paramedic, and keep control of the scene? How long does it actually take help to arrive? How do you delegate when people want to help but have varying levels of qualifications? What happens when the patient's family finally realizes you've been shocking their kid this whole time? This story has a great outcome & we also get insight to the world of water polo, how crazy it gets underwater, why the Europeans love it, & how hard the training is. Plus we get to hear how satisfying it is when victims survive and thank you later. We also talk about why kid calls are so tough, how critical stress debriefing can help with these calls, & more. This episode wears speedos.