'He was just lifeless': Dad talks helping his son during cardiac arrest at game
HE POSTED A $2000 BOND AND IS
SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN COURT
NOVEMBER 7TH.
NEW TONIGHT WE'RE HEARING FROM
THE FATHER OF A CLEVELAND HIGH
SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO WAS
TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER
SUFFERING FROM CARDIAC ARREST
DURING THE VARSITY FOOTBALL
GAME AT SOUTHEAST RALEIGH.
HIGH SCHOOL. THIS HAPPENED
FRIDAY NIGHT DURING A HIGH
SCHOOL OT IS GAME OF THE WEEK.
WRAL'S KIRSTEN CLARK IS LIVE AT
SOUTHEAST RALEIGH, HIGH SCHOOL
TONIGHT. KIRSTEN, THAT PLAYER'S
FATHER DESCRIBED HAVING TO
PERFORM CPR ON HIS OWN SONS.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, CARLY. THAT
PLAYER IS CLEVELAND SENIOR WIDE
RECEIVER CHRIS JOHN CLARK.
HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL
AND THANKFULLY IS NOW DOING
OKAY. HIS FATHER, CHRIS TOLD US
HIS SON EVEN WENT TO CHURCH
THIS MORNING, BUT HE SAYS THERE
WAS A TIME WHERE HE WASN'T SURE
THAT WOULD BE THE CASE AS CHRIS
JOHN LAY LIFELESS ON THE FIELD
HERE AT SOUTHEAST.
>> IT BEGAN AS A NORMAL PLAY
QUARTERBACK CATCHES THE BALL
AND MAKES A CLEAN THROW RIGHT
INTO THE HANDS OF CHRIS JOHN
CLARK. NO ONE COULD HAVE
PREDICTED WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
WE HAVE A GAME STOPPAGE, CHRIS.
JOHN CLARK, THE RECEIVER FOR
CLEVELAND.
SO A BIG HIT. CHRISTIAN'S
PARENTS WERE SITTING IN THE
STANDS WATCHING IT ALL UNFOLD.
DON'T GO DOWN. AND I JUST YOU
KNOW, IT'S LIKE YOU PROBABLY.
>> YEAH, WE'RE NOT OUT OF A
SOMETHING BECAUSE HE LAID THERE
FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT I
DIDN'T NOTICE HIS LEGS WERE
COVID CLEVELAND'S COACHES AND
TRAINING STAFF RAN ONTO THE
FIELD AND BEGAN PERFORMING CPR.
AND CHRIS JOHN, HE WAS JUST
LIFELESS. HE WASN'T THE CITY
WASN'T BREATHING AND THEY SENT
IT TO BE CONFINED UP HOMES.
CHRIS TOLD US ONCE HE AND HIS
WIFE REACHED THE FIELD, HE
RELIEVED TO COACH IN BEGAN
PERFORMING CHEST COMPRESSIONS
ON CHRISTIAN HIMSELF THAN THE
CPR AND AED TRAINING. AND, YOU
KNOW, PROBABLY 6 OR 7 TIMES
KNOWN, I THINK IN THE WHEN THEM
ENOUGH TO USE TO EVENTUALLY
THEY WERE ABLE TO USE AN AED OR
AUTOMATED EXTERNAL
DEFIBRILLATOR TO DELIVER AN
ELECTRIC SHOCK TO CHRIS JOHNS
CHEST, RESTORING HIS HEARTBEAT.
>> THANK LORD. THANK YOU, LORD.
HE IS. YOU CAN HEAR THE MOMENT
THE CROWD ERUPTS WITH CHEERS.
THE ANNOUNCER ON THE GAMES LIVE
STREAM DESCRIBING THE GRAVITY
OF THE INCIDENT IS THE SCARIEST
THING I'VE EVER SEEN. THE
FOOTBALL FIELD AND 18 YEARS OF
DOING THIS. CHRIS, JOHN LEFT
THE GAME IN AN AMBULANCE.
HE WAS RELEASED FROM THE
HOSPITAL SUNDAY MORNING.
HIS FATHER TOLD US DOCTORS
DESCRIBED CHRIS JOHN AS A
WALKING MIRACLE. IT'S LIKE,
WOW, WE ALMOST LOST OUR SO, YOU
KNOW, THAT'S A.
>> WE JUST COULDN'T THINK GOD
AND THINK PEOPLE THAT WORKED
WITH ME ENOUGH.
>> CHRIS CLARK TOTALS. THIS HAS
BEEN AN EMOTIONAL TIME FOR HIS
FAMILY. HE SAYS, CHRIS JOHN
STILL HAS TO UNDERGO SOME
TESTING TO DETERMINE WHETHER HE
CAN RETURN TO THE FIELD.
EVERYONE IS JUST THANKFUL HE IS
DOING OKAY. LIVE IN RALEIGH,