Brett Lee’s extraordinary efforts to revive Dean Jones after Australian great’s heart attack hailed ‘heroic’
Brett Lee says he ‘gave everything to save his friend’ and is struggling with the profound sense of loss’ following his traumatic ordeal in Mumbai where he fought heroically to save Dean Jones’ life.
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Brett Lee has been offered counselling following his traumatic ordeal in Mumbai as Australia’s band of baggy green brothers rally in support of the former Test star.
Lee is due to spend the next seven weeks living and working in the same hotel where he heroically tried to save Dean Jones’ life from a massive heart attack, as he broadcasts the IPL for Star Sports.
Commentators are confined to a couple of floors of the Mumbai hotel due to the coronavirus crisis in India, and Lee then faces another two weeks in quarantine upon his return to Australia.
A shattered Lee told News Corp “it’s hard to put into words the sense of loss I’m feeling right now”, after he applied CPR in a desperate bid which brought Jones back to life twice before the Australian cricket great died in an ambulance on his way to hospital.
“Even though I gave my everything in trying to resuscitate Dean with the use of CPR and a defibrillator, I wish there was somehow or someway to bring him back,” Lee said.
The Australian Cricketers’ Association has offered its counselling service to Lee, and have also made the same offer to other commentators who were on the scene, including distraught former New Zealand international Scott Styris — a close mate of Jones, and former England spinner, Graeme Swann.
The players’ association has also reached out to dozens of former Australian cricketers who have been emotionally rocked by the shock passing of the 59-year-old, who had such a profound influence over his peers and the next generation. Those players have also been told counselling is available to them.
Former stars say the spirit and camaraderie associated with what it means to be part of the baggy green club has come to the fore, with Lee’s former teammates making sure they’re getting around Lee following the most distressing experience of his life.
I love this video of @ProfDeano
— Brett Lee (@BrettLee_58) September 25, 2020
Absolutely sums up who he was a person. Deano myself and @scottbstyris trying to keep busy a few days ago in lockdown. Life isn’t fair sometimes. You always were a winner Deano🥇Miss you pic.twitter.com/1uARqKhsel
Players’ union boss Shane Watson is one of Lee’s closest friends and is in constant contact from where he is playing in the IPL in Dubai, while Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Justin Langer are among the former greats trying to make sure the former fast bowler isn’t isolated despite the remoteness of his Mumbai bubble.
“Binga is one of our little brothers,” Langer said. “My gosh, there’s not a more popular or nicer bloke than Brett Lee. I can’t imagine what he’s been through overnight.
“My best mate died two-three years ago from a sudden heart attack and the great shock to the people down there who were with him at the time.
“I can’t imagine what Binga has been going through. Our heart goes out not just to him, but obviously Deano’s family as well. It’s a shocking time.”
Both Langer and Gilchrist reminisced about how only two months ago a group of West Australian-based players met for a BBQ and after a few drinks decided to call up every single member of the famous 1989 Ashes Test squad, of which Jones was a part of.
“We facetimed everyone and Jonesy was one of them,” Langer said. “Jonesy’s reply was, ‘thank you so much for thinking of me, I’m so jealous. I wish I was there with you guys.’
“It’s the great thing about playing cricket. You forge friendships. That afternoon made me realise why I loved playing cricket for Australia so much.”
And players are making sure Lee – and others affected – feel that bond now more than ever.
“Everyone’s been exchanging messages on whatsapp,” Mark Waugh said.
“It’s just been a bit of a shock to everybody. Everyone was trying to digest it on Thursday night, and then it hit home on Friday.”
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Lee revived Jones, twice, before legend lost life
A tearful Brett Lee twice brought Dean Jones back to life in a heroic attempt to save Australia’s cricketing icon.
The heartbroken Lee told News Corp that he “gave his everything trying to … bring Dean back.”
“It’s hard to put into words the sense of loss I’m feeling right now. Deano was a great mate and champion bloke who we already miss dearly,” Lee told News Corp.
“Even though I gave my everything in trying to resuscitate Dean with the use of CPR and a defibrillator, I wish there was somehow or someway to bring him back.”
It’s understood Lee also had the difficult task of breaking the news to Dean Jones’ wife Jane.
Lee then turned to broadcaster Alan Jones and former teammate Shane Warne for comforting shoulders as he recovered from the most distressing experience of his life.
Alan Jones has given an extraordinary account of former Australian fast bowling great Lee’s desperate efforts to save a fellow legend of the baggy green from a massive heart attack in Mumbai.
“When he rang and told me, ‘Dean is dead’, he was crying. It was just terrible stuff,” Jones told News Corp.
“Dean had obviously collapsed and Brett was about 20 yards away … and according to Brett’s story to me, he gave him mouth to mouth. He had no pulse. Brett got the pulse back and he got colour back.
“Brett said to me, ‘I got colour in him.’
“Someone else, I don’t know quite whom, called the ambulance and then when Brett looked again, Deano was gone. So Brett gave him mouth to mouth again and got life back to him. And colour. And he found a pulse.
“By which stage the ambulance had arrived and the ambulance then took him. Of course Brett was the only contact as I understand it, and then they’ve rung Brett to say ‘he’s dead.’
“Brett had kept him alive. It was really gutsy stuff. Nothing ever surprises me about Brett Lee. He’s just a lovely person. A gentle soul and a class act.”
It’s understood Lee also had an extensive phone conversation with cricketing great, Warne, who was a close friend and former teammate of Dean Jones, 59, from Victoria.
Australian coach Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist were among those to call and rally around Lee following the traumatic episode – before the fast bowler bravely fronted up on air for Star Sports in India to broadcast the IPL pre-game in honour of the man he had just tried to save.
Alan Jones said Lee was “rocked” but typically strong.
“He always copes. He’s always there for the other person,” said Alan Jones.
“That’s the point. He never thinks of himself. Brett is always there for the other person.
“When you work with someone and you enjoy their friendship and their fun and that person is gone, it’s a terrible wrench in their life.
“Brett most probably is not as emotionally honest even with me as you’d like him to be. Because he knows that I would worry if he was worried. So he tells me, ‘mate I’m OK. I’m OK.’
“I keep texting him to just see he is OK. But he’s not saying much at the moment. Normally he’d have a little bit to say. But at the moment it’s rocked him. He’s very silent.”
It’s understood Dean Jones had exercised in the morning in Mumbai, before returning to his room. He had some computer problems which he was sorting out, and then collapsed.
It’s believed Jones was being taken to the Reliance Hospital in Mumbai, but did not make it there alive.
Lee was worried about what to do with the body, and Alan Jones, upon receiving a call from the former fast bowler just an hour before his own nightly broadcast on Sky News, the broadcaster immediately contacted Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne.
“She was outstanding. I had to go to air. She made contact. Then I got a message from Barry O’Farrell who is Australia’s high commissioner to India in Delhi,” said Jones.
“I gave him Brett’s number and he made contact with Brett.”
High-ranking IPL official Sanjay Kumar Gupta stayed in regular contact with Alan Jones and said he would fly with Dean Jones’ body to Melbourne, if that’s what it took.
Lee said his thoughts were with the Jones family.
“My thoughts go out to Jane and the family for their loss,” said Lee.
“The entire cricketing world is in mourning. Deano was a legend in the game and never stopped giving back to the sport he loved.”
Gilchrist described Lee as a hero.
“I spoke to Brett Lee on Thursday night and from what I am told, he was absolutely heroic in his efforts,” Gilchrist told News Corp in an exclusive column.
“His composure and how educated he was on what the requirements were with CPR was just extraordinary. He was desperate to try and save Dean, and he thought he had.
“Scott Styris (former New Zealand international), who was there in Mumbai, messaged and said he couldn’t speak any more highly of Brett and the courage and strength he showed in that moment.
“I want people to know that.”
Originally published as Brett Lee’s extraordinary efforts to revive Dean Jones after Australian great’s heart attack hailed ‘heroic’