Philippine dad, doctor aids ailing SLWS spectator

BANGOR – Dr. Carlos Esguerra knows wherever he goes, he may be called upon for help – even if he’s at the Senior League World Series.

Esguerra, a cardiologist with a practice in Manila in the Philippines, was at Mansfield Stadium at noon Wednesday to watch his son, Chip Esguerra, play for the Asia-Pacific team from Makati City, Philippines, when a woman sitting in the stands apparently got dizzy and collapsed. Stadium announcer Bob Beatham asked over the loudspeaker for a doctor to go to where the woman was sitting.

Carlos Esguerra responded.

“Wherever I am, if you need a doctor, I’m aware I may be called at any time,” he said. “It just so happened this was our game.”

Esguerra said he took a quick medical history to try to assess what was wrong, checked for a pulse, and monitored the situation until emergency workers arrived a few minutes later.

Tournament director Mike Brooker said the woman, who appeared to be in her 70s, was dizzy, then seemed better, and collapsed a few seconds later. She was alert and talking when she was taken out of the stands in a stretcher. She was taken by ambulance to Eastern Maine Medical Center.

Brooker said he did not know the woman’s name or her status after the incident.

Heat may have been a factor, despite temperatures in the 70s and a light breeze, the stadium was hot and sunny at the time.

“We don’t know if it was the heat or whatever else,” Brooker said.