Author: Lacey Crisp
Published: 6:30 PM EDT October 7, 2026
Updated: 6:30 PM EDT October 7, 2026
BEXLEY, Ohio — The biggest save on a Bexley soccer field didn't come from a goalkeeper; it came from an AED.
David Jablonski collapsed during halftime and for a moment, his teammates feared the final whistle had come far too soon. Then came a shock, and a comeback nobody on that field will forget.
In the over-30 rec league, the Bananas were down and their all-time scorer, David Jablonski, came off the field at halftime. He'd just missed a chance on goal. Then he collapsed.
“He was not breathing normally. He was kind of shaking. He was starting to turn blue,” said teammate Dr. Chad Lieber.
His teammates had seen Jablonski collapse before. This time was different because they couldn't find a pulse.
Then teammate John ran to get the AED that was just 50 feet away.
The machine analyzed Jablonski's heart, then delivered the words that changed the game: “Shock advised.”
One shock, then chest compressions from his doctor teammates.
“There was a moment where I think those of us that were close and had seen it before thought, like man, is this not gonna work? Is this gonna be, you know, the end for him,” said Banana’s team founder, Danny Hurley.
Jablonski wasn't ready for the final whistle. Less than 20 seconds after the shock, he pushed back.
“I wake up surrounded by trainers and doctors,” he explained.
The color returned to his face, and his pulse returned.
“He was awake and talking and asking what happened,” Dr. Lieber said.
What happened was that an AED, teammates and seconds that mattered had given Jablonski another chance.
“It was the perfect storm of circumstances that kept me alive,” he said.
Now, just two weeks later, Jablonski is back on the sidelines, not playing, but watching. That may be the sweetest comeback of all.
His teammates weren't celebrating a goal that night. They were celebrating an assist from an AED that gave their friend another chance.
His heart has a new defibrillator-pacemaker.
Jablonski said he's probably done with soccer, but his teammates aren't saying goodbye. They already thought they had.
Somehow, the biggest save of the game was Jablonski himself.
“It's already getting uncomfortable. I've already thanked Chad and John too many times. I'm gonna have to slow down, but I'm sure I will say more thanks in the years to come,” he said with a smile.
Heart Safe Bexley is a program that has been around since 2023 and has trained about 600 people on how to use AED’s. They hold class the third Wednesday of every month at the Jeffrey Mansion through the Bexley Recreation Department.
Bexley has six public access safe stations with AED’s.
October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month.
