On January 19, 2024, a high school basketball game took an unexpected turn at West St. Mary High School. During the game, one of the referees suddenly collapsed on the court. K9 Sgt. Ashleigh Wilson and her husband, Lt. Chad Wilson, were present at the event and quickly sprang into action.
The couple began administering CPR to the unconscious referee, who was neither breathing nor had a pulse. Trainer Wydrick Harding and Sgt. Daesha Hughes from the New Iberia Police Department promptly joined the effort to help save the referee’s life.
Baldwin Fire Department’s firefighters soon arrived with an IED device to offer additional assistance. In the meantime, Deputy Nick Lestage and Deputy Stephanie Hedges successfully guided the audience out of the gym.
Acadian Ambulance services reached the scene and took charge of providing further medical care and transportation.
Sgt. Craig Lewis, another referee at the basketball game who also serves in the Criminal Investigations for New Iberia Police Department, traveled with the referee to the hospital and stayed with him until his family arrived.
Out of respect for privacy, there will be no release of the officials name.