At about 8:00 p.m., Grady suddenly became unconscious and stopped breathing. Two of the friends that he was playing basketball with were Special Education teacher Claude Beudert, and Coach Charlie Bateman, shown in the photo to the left, with Dr. Sciammarella, Claire DeSetto, RN, and Carol Hansen, RN, an East Hampton School District nurse. Both had received training in CPR and AED use from Dr. Sciammarella and Claire DeSetto, of Health Training/Consulting, and Carol Hansen, just three months earlier.

Beudert and Bateman used the school's AED to deliver 3 shocks to Dexter. After the third shock, he started breathing normally and regained consciousness! Grady was transported to Southampton hospital, and was then transferred to Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, where he underwent cardiac bypass surgery.

Incredibly, Dexter, himself, was one of the first East Hampton School District employees to become certified in CPR and AED use. Little did he know that these lifesaving skills would be used by his co-workers to save his own life!

Dexter Grady owes his life to an incredible series of events. First is the effort by the Acompora family, of Northport, to push for AEDs in the school. In March, 2000, almost 3 years to the day from the time of Dexter's cardiac arrest, John and Karen Acompora's healthy, 14 year-old son, Louis, was struck in the chest while playing goalie for the Northport varsity lacrosse team. Although he was wearing a full set of protective equipment, when he was struck in the chest while blocking a routine shot, Louis developed ventricular fibrillation and went into cardiac arrest. This condition is known as commotio cordis. Louis died less than a mile from a major trauma center while waiting for an ambulance.

As a result of this tragedy, the Acomporas lobbied both Suffolk County, and eventually the New York State legislature to mandate that AEDs be placed in all schools. In 2002, Governor George Pataki signed the legislation, which had passed both houses of the legislature unanimously, into law at the graduation ceremony for the Northport High School class of 2002. The Governor called the law "Louis' Law", in honor of Louis J. Acompora.

Although Louis' Law required that all public schools in New York State must comply with the AED requirements by December 1 of 2002, the East Hampton School District had already begun implementing its AED program months earlier. In December of 2002, Health Training/Consulting, which provides the medical direction for the East Hampton School District's AED program, began a series of CPR and AED classes for school personnel. Among the first to be trained were Dexter Grady, Claude Beudert, and Charlie Bateman. Ironically, both Beudert and Bateman originally had plans not to play basketball that night, but fate intervened, and they were present when Dexter needed them.

In addition, the group of friends, who regularly gather to play basketball together, were all instrumental in assisting the rescue effort, by rapidly initiating the chain of survival. Claude Beudert immediately called 911, the first link in the chain of survival, while East Hampton Dentist Alan Katz helped provide CPR, the second link.

While these first 2 links were being performed, Lee Minetree retrieved one of the school's AEDs. Early defibrillation is the third and most critical link in the chain of survival. Without early defibrillation, the chances of resuscitating a cardiac arrest victim drop by up to 10 percent per minute.

Responding to the 911 call, East Hampton Village police officers Dennis Walker and Matt Morgan arrived with a supply of oxygen. It was Beudert and Bateman who used the AED to restart Dexter's heart. As the East Hampton Ambulance arrived, Dexter was already regaining consciousness. With the arrival of the ambulance, the fourth link in the chain of survival was now in place: early advanced life support. Medics administered intravenous medication to stabilize Grady's heart. Throughout the whole rescue, the entire group in the gym was praying for Dexter.

Both Claude Beudert and Charlie Bateman have been in phone contact with Dexter Grady, whose prognosis for a full recovery is excellent. The East Hampton Independent has quoted Dexter, saying, "I just thank God he allowed me another day." While awaiting his return to the middle school, students have covered Dexter's closet with handmade get-well cards.

One of the players had brought his eight year-old daughter to watch the basketball game. She was heard to say, "This is the most excitement I've ever seen at one of these games!"