On February 23, 2025, 71-year-old rower Darrel Davidson of Vero Beach had a heart attack just after crossing the finish line at Nathan Benderson Park. Teammates got him to the on-site medical staff. CPR and a defibrillator restarted him seven or eight times. He spent two and a half weeks in the hospital.
ABC7 MySuncoast reporter Brendan Mackey covered the reunion after Davidson was discharged — 30 to 40 people in the room, including doctors, nurses, and Sarasota County Fire Department. Assistant Chief of EMS Operations Brian Nadler was there. Dr. Fava, Chief Medical Officer at the park, spoke to the protocol that held when it had to.
“I heard they had to restart me seven or eight times between CPR and the defibrillator paddles. The odds were not good, but I’m lucky to be here,” Davidson told ABC7.
This is why event medicine is not a sideline hobby for this clinic. The same doctor who runs Venice and University Park is the medical director on the water.
“We have seen our fair share of injuries. But his was our first full-blown cardiac arrest that we’ve seen here, and by chance it happened on the water, so we know that our protocol is true.”