Ganesha football coach Don Cayer is recovering in the hospital after suffering a heart attack in the final moments of Friday’s high school football game against La Puente.
Cayer confirmed what happened to him through text messages Monday.
Cayer lost consciousness during the game and he said he was brought back to life by the school’s athletic trainer, Ariel Castro, who acted quickly. Cayer credits her with saving his life.
Cayer was then rushed by ambulance to a hospital.
“I was dead for four minutes,” Cayer said through text messages. “Ariel saved me along with the AED.”
An AED (automated external defibrillator) is a device used to restart the heart after cardiac arrest.
Cayer said that he had surgery over the weekend and remains in the hospital while his doctors come up with a plan for rehab.
On Sunday night Cayer posted a picture of himself on Ganesha football’s Facebook page with the message, “I’m alive. Now beat Bassett.”
Those were inspiring words for those concerned about Ganesha’s longtime coach and athletic director.
Ganesha, which lost to La Puente, 24-21, will host Bassett in the final league game of the season Friday.
Ganesha principal Joseph Biagioni on Monday said the school would not comment on the situation at this time.
Biagioni said the Pomona Unified School District will release a statement later this week with an update on Cayer’s condition and a possible interim replacement head coach.
This is the second time this football season that an area football coach has dealt with a medical emergency in the final minutes of a football game.
Diamond Ranch coach Eric Martinez suffered a heart attack in the closing moments of a game against Glendora on Sept. 21. He underwent emergency surgery to place two stints due to blocked arteries.
Martinez recovered quickly and returned to the Panthers’ sideline last week.
