On April 18, Wayne Latimer of the Pickleball Club of Chesterfield County suffered a serious cardiac episode during a game at the Career and Technical Center on Hull Street Road.
Within a few minutes, they were able to access and use the automated external defibrillator nearby that ended up saving Latimer’s life.
“I want to thank all of my pickleball friends,” Latimer said. “There’s no question I probably wouldn’t be here without the assistance that they gave me.”
Latimer’s story was recounted during the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, as the county embarks on the process of deploying 14 additional AEDs in parks throughout the area. Chesterfield currently has 39 active AED units across 23 locations.
PCCC President Linda Scott advocated for AEDs at the pickleball courts following an incident 20 years ago when her first husband died at a tennis court.
The cardiologist and nurse rendering aid at the scene told Scott that her husband could have been saved had an AED been available.
“That was …