Coach's life saved during pickleball by off-duty firefighter

An off-duty Orange County firefighter who happened to be playing nearby helped save San Juan Hills High School football coach Rob Frith after he suffered sudden cardiac arrest on a San Clemente park pickleball court on December 19. John Rowlands began chest compressions immediately and kept them going for roughly 15 minutes until deputies and paramedics arrived with an automated external defibrillator, a coordinated response that restored Frith well enough to be conscious and talking during ambulance transport.

At the hospital Frith learned doctors had found an undetected heart defect, and he is now recovering. On January 12, 2026, Frith and his family visited Fire Station 59 to thank Rowlands and the first responders who helped that day, turning what is usually a tragic statistic into a rare positive outcome after cardiac arrest.

For pickleball communities this incident is a stark reminder that a game at the park can turn into an emergency in seconds. The quick actions on the San Clemente court — immediate hands-on compressions by a trained responder, rapid arrival of deputies and paramedics, and deployment of an AED — matched the ideal sequence for survival after sudden cardiac arrest. The combination of bystander CPR and early defibrillation is what made the difference for Frith.

Practical takeaways are straightforward and actionable for anyone who plays or manages courts. Learn hands-only CPR and practice it occasionally so muscle memory kicks in under stress. Know where the nearest AED is at your community courts, parks, or rec centers and make sure multiple players can access it quickly. Keep phones charged and visible, and assign someone to call 911 the moment a collapse happens so responders are dispatched without delay.

This episode also highlights the value of having medically trained people in the community, from off-duty firefighters to deputies and EMTs, and the multiplier effect when bystanders step in immediately. For clubs and leagues, incorporate emergency drills into routine play or league nights so players know who will do what if a player goes down.

The takeaway? Quick, coordinated action saves lives — learn CPR, locate the nearest AED, and treat every collapse as a time-critical event. Our two cents? A little preparedness on and off the court turns a scary moment into a survivable one, and that’s a win for everyone who loves the game.