Monday, March 16, 2009

Mastic Beach Man Stable After Softball Field Collapse

BY A.J. VOELPEL

March 16, 2009 - A Mastic Beach man who collapsed on a Patchogue softball field was in stable condition yesterday after being revived by teammates, two Suffolk police officers and a Patchogue public safety officer.

The officers, Paul Schreiber and Edward Ryby, and a Patchogue Village public safety officer, Jim Mylett, responded to a 911 call Saturday night from Shore Front Park in Patchogue, where they found Christian Barton, 30, unconscious, police said.

Barton, who was fielding a ground ball at second base, collapsed as he was about to throw the ball, according to police.

Schreiber, who was only three blocks away when he received the call, arrived first. Barton's teammates were already performing CPR.

"As soon as I got there, his teammates were waiting for me," Schreiber said. "Nobody was panicking, which helped the situation tremendously."

They rolled Barton on his back and used a defibrillator from Schreiber's car to monitor his condition. Mylett and Ryby arrived shortly after and took over the CPR.

When Barton stopped breathing, the defibrillator signaled that shock was needed. After a second shock, Ryby noticed a pulse on Barton's neck.

A Patchogue ambulance arrived and took Barton to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, where he was treated in the emergency room. He was transferred to Stony Brook University Medical Center and was sedated overnight, said Barton's cousin, Brian Jenkins, 26, of Amityville.

Jenkins said that already yesterday evening, Barton, of Spar Drive was breathing on his own and laughing with his two young sons.

"I'm just so happy we were all able to help," Schreiber said. "That's why they call them teammates. It was a complete group effort."

Staff writer Patrick Whittle contributed to this story.

Copyright © 2009, Newsday Inc.
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