The City of Campbell River is exploring ways to improve access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in locations where high-intensity sports are held in the city, following a youth's sudden heart attack at a recent local tournament.
Coun. Tanille Johnston spoke about the incident at a council meeting on May 8.
"Unfortunately, a young person had cardiac arrest, and it was simply luck that there was an emergency-room nurse, as well as a paramedic, as well as the president of the Campbell River Youth Soccer Association that had keys to the building where the AED was that this person is alive today," Johnston said.
Johnston said during the meeting she was contacted to help raise awareness about the "tragic" incident. It was requested that the city examine the safety parameters surrounding the playing field where the adult co-ed league plays soccer.
According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the rate of sudden cardiac arrest during exercise in competitive athletes is about 0.75 per 100 000 athletes per year.
Among young athletes, sudden cardiac arrest is usually the first manifestation of underlying cardiac condition, although one study found that 29 per cent of athletes had symptoms of cardiac disease before an arrest, states the journal.
During the meeting, City Manager Elle Brovold said the city's staff are committed to finding a solution not only for the soccer facility but also for other facilities and parks throughout the community where high-intensity sports occur.
There are several mechanisms the city can undertake, Brovold noted, including implementing a remote unlocking capability to ensure people can more easily access a life-saving defibrillator.
Alex Bates, president of the Campbell River Youth Soccer Association, said he contacted the city after the event to raise awareness about the need for better access to AEDs on sports fields.
This isn't the first time a harrowing experience occurred during high-intensity sports in the region.
In 2024, a staff member of the Comox Valley soccer club died after experiencing a heart attack on the field because an AED wasn't close enough to provide immediate aid, Bates said.
"The kid was lucky the city had an AED in the fieldhouse," Bates said of the recent incident in Campbell River. "It's scary when it happens to a youth because there are a lot of 40 and 50-year-old adults that are still playing soccer, and you would expect it there. But it can happen at more random experiences."
Each year in Canada, roughly 50,000 people experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospitals. Without immediate intervention, the survival rate drops by seven to 10 per cent for each passing minute.
