Carey Williams Pickleball Rescue Reunion: Carey Williams, a 70-year-old Navy veteran and retired schoolteacher, reunited Monday with Miami Township firefighters Michael Tankersley and Jacob Myrick at a Clermont County firehouse. The firefighters saved Williams’ life in July after he collapsed during a pickleball game and went into sudden cardiac arrest.
The Life-Saving Incident
In July, Williams was playing pickleball at Sawyer Point when he suddenly felt faint.
“We were on Game 6 and I just felt like I was going to pass out. I had no pain or anything. I was out like a light.”(Carey Williams)
Tankersley and Myrick, off-duty at the time, quickly acted. They called for an automated external defibrillator, which a bystander brought, and successfully revived Williams.
“They touched my heart, my life, my mind, so I got a special place for these guys in my heart and my memory because I wouldn’t be here without them,” (Carey Williams).
Williams later discovered he had five blockages in his heart and spent a month in the hospital recovering.
The Reunion
Monday marked the first meeting since that day. Myrick said,
“I don’t really get nervous, but my heart was racing like Carey was saying when we just met.”
Michael Tankersley added,
“We’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.”
Williams toured the station, sharing smiles and laughs, and expressed his gratitude.
“I would adopt them if I could,” he said.
“He’s able to stand. He’s able to walk, talk, live his life, be able to be with his family, and that’s the best we could have asked for.”(Jacob Myrick)
The Bigger Message
The Miami Township Fire Department highlighted the importance of knowing CPR and having AEDs available in public areas. Williams plans to return to the pickleball courts once his doctors give him the all-clear. “God is good. God is good,” he said, reflecting on his second chance at life.
News in Brief: Carey Williams Pickleball Rescue Reunion
Carey Williams, a 70-year-old Navy veteran, reunited with Miami Township firefighters Michael Tankersley and Jacob Myrick, who saved him during a July pickleball game. Williams suffered sudden cardiac arrest, received immediate help, and later spent a month in the hospital. He hopes to play pickleball again soon.