Medics saved a football fan’s life when he collapsed behind a stand during Aston Villa’s Boxing Day match against Arsenal.
The man, in his 50s, is thought to have suffered a heart attack as the 2-2 draw was nearing an end at Villa Park.
Quick-thinking volunteers from St John Ambulance found the man with no pulse and used a mobile defibrillator to shock the patient’s heart.
The supporter was brought round and was later conscious and talking after being taken to City Hospital and is said to be recovering well.
A second man died at the match after suffering a heart attack, said a spokesman for St John Ambulance.
St John Ambulance Commissioner for the West Midlands, Paul Bytheway, said: “When a patient suffers a heart attack, time is always of the essence. For the gentleman who collapsed close to our first aid station, we were able to act very swiftly and administer a shock to his heart.”
The St John Ambulance uses its 43,000 volunteers to provide first aid and ambulance cover to sports matches and events.
