“That’s what I’m there for”: Gilbert athletic trainer saves a life on the baseball field

GILBERT, S.C. — On March 8 at 3:31 p.m., TJ Marsh experienced her worst nightmare as an athletic trainer.

It was the sixth inning of the final game of a preseason doubleheader between Byrnes and Bishop England at Gilbert High School, when a fly ball was hit between shortstop and centerfield.

Grayson Selepes and Easton Cullison collided. Both Byrnes players went down hard, but Selepes wasn’t responsive.

That’s when Marsh rushed into action. After checking Selepes’ vitals, she found no breathing or pulse and immediately started cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Still no response from Selepes.

For the first time in 23 years as an athletic trainer, Marsh had to utilize an automated external defibrillator (AED). The portable defibrillator shocked Selepes’ heart back into rhythm before the paramedics were able to take him to a hospital.

Both Marsh and the Selepes family agree that without the AED machine on-site, Grayson would not have made it to the hospital.

ABC Columbia’s Cam Gaskins has their story.