“The spaceman has fallen”- Bill Lee collapses during warmup of an exhibition match
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Bill Lee
Bill Lee, a pitcher for the Savannah Bananas and a former major league All-Star, suffered what a first responder on the scene described as a “cardiac episode” and lost consciousness while warming up during a game on Friday. After receiving medical attention, including by some quick-reacting Thunderbolt firefighters, police officers, and a paramedic present near the right-field bullpen, Lee was able to leave the field with help after spending a few of minutes on the ground. In the late hours of Friday night, Lee was being treated at Memorial Health University Medical Center after being transported there by ambulance.
“I would say without immediate intervention, that person would not be alive right now,” said Bob Millie, the town administrator and a firefighter, “He had a cardiac episode that stopped his breathing. That only ends one way normally, but their direct involvement saved his life.”
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Bill Lee’s fall mistaken as “part of the show”
The incident took place while Lee, a Red Sox Hall of Famer and fan favorite known by the nickname Spaceman, was in the right-field bullpen. After Lee left the field, the game was paused and then resumed.
Kris Fain, a fireman and EMT for the Town of Thunderbolt, and his wife Heather, a paramedic who is not employed by the town, were among those in attendance at the ballpark for the event honoring the employees. They observed a player who was down on the ground and people rushing toward him, but such disturbance during a Bananas game could be mistaken for amusement.
“Originally we thought it was part of the show,” Heather Fain said. “Once we realized it wasn’t, we went down there to help.” Soon, Lee was surrounded by a sizable group of first responders as well as Bananas officials, coaches, and players. Lee reportedly received CPR, and an AED (automated external defibrillator) was utilized, according to Millie.
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Leslie Savio Baptist
(151 Articles Published)