Hockey Players Honored For Life-Saving CPR At Prince William Ice Center

DALE CITY, VA — On the night of Dec. 15, 2024, Paul Ickes decided to play as a drop-in goalie at the Prince William Ice Center. But while he was playing, Ickes started to show signs of distress and fell to the ice.

That's when fellow hockey players Calvin Boersma, Tyler Mulhaul and Garrett Rogers stepped in. Those three players were honored with a Citizen Hero Award by Prince William County Fire and Rescue for their life-saving actions.

According to the fire department, the three had realized Ickes was having a medical emergency and rushed to help him. One of them checked for a pulse and started chest compressions, while another grabbed an AED and the third held C-spine immobilization during CPR. During the life-saving measures, the AED technology recommended administering a shock based on cardiac rhythm analysis. Once they administered the shock with the AED, Ickes showed return of spontaneous circulation, which means the heart was functioning well on its own after cardiac arrest.

When Prince William County Fire and Rescue crews arrived, they found Ickes had an AED attached with the three players who had performed CPR. Crews found that Ickes had a pulse and was breathing spontaneously. He became conscious again in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

The fire department praised Boersma, Mulhaul and Rogers for their quick actions in a medical emergency.

"The heroic actions of these three individuals played a pivotal role in the successful outcome for Mr. Ickes," Prince William County Fire and Rescue. "CPR, especially if administered immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person's chance of survival. Through their quick thinking and skill level, these men were able to save Mr. Ickes’ life."