A former professional hockey player from B.C. who went on to become a firefighter died of a heart attack while playing rec hockey in Richmond Monday night.
Raymond Sawada, 38, had just celebrated the birthday of one of his two young daughters and was playing rec hockey at the Richmond Ice Centre when he suddenly slumped over on the bench.
Fellow first responders on the team tried to revive him.
“They worked on him feverishly. There was a fireman there, the defibrillator—access to that was there. And so the paramedics said the group did everything they could in their power to assist, and it wasn’t meant to be. It’s so sad,” said Richmond Sockeyes president Doug Paterson.
38 year old former athletes who still stay in shape for their firefighter profession and recreation hockey have always randomly dropped dead from heart attacks in large numbers for no apparent reason. Nothing to see here.