This man, who was carried from the game on a stretcher, was saved by two fast thinking doctors who were at the Palace to enjoy the game.  REAL VIDEO Kimberly Craig reports from Livonia.

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By Kimberly Craig
Web produced by Christine Lasek
June 15, 2005

The Pistons fought their way back with a big win Tuesday night, but the real heroes of the evening were in the stands. Two doctors helped to save one man’s life, after his heart stopped during the game.

Dr. Todd Marcus thought he would be spending Tuesday evening watching a good basketball game. He now hopes that the incident that occurred during the game will encourage others to learn CPR.

"The phones have been ringing off the hook," Dr. Marcus told 7 Action News. "Patients from my old practice, just calling wanting to find out where I am. Patients calling the radio station saying, ‘That’s my doctor.’ It really is unbelievable, something I never would have thought."

Pediatrician Dr. Todd Marcus just opened his new practice in Livonia on Monday, and he’s already a hero to his patients.

At Tuesday night’s Pistons/Spurs game, Dr. Marcus spotted another fan who was having a medical emergency.

"[He] was in his seat, just sitting like this, and just wasn’t moving," Dr. Marcus demonstrated, dropping his head to his chest. "I was jumping over people a couple of rows below me, and I just kind of jumped through and spilled a couple of beers and popcorn and just got to him and felt his carotid and there was no pulse and no respirations. I looked up, and there was my childhood friend, Dr. Rosenberg, Danny Rosenberg, who’s a physician. We just looked at each other’s eyes, said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Danny straddled him and started giving him chest compressions and I gave him mouth to mouth."

Dr. Marcus told 7 Action News that it was difficult to give the man CPR in the stands, because space is so compacted. He explained how they pulled the victim to the floor, with his legs still in the chairs and his head in the stairwell.

"I was able to lift the neck up a little bit," Dr. Marcus explained. "Open the jaw and give breaths. Danny was straddling him straight on, and was able to give him chest compressions."

After being administered CPR, the man took a big gasp. "I knew right then he was coming back," said Dr. Marcus.

Dr. Marcus only knew the first name of the man he helped, Ed. But 7 Action News has located Ed, and has confirmed Wednesday that he was recovering at the hospital.