A football player’s life was saved on Saturday when the opposition’s manager used vital first aid training.
The drama happened at Pinchbeck United’s Knight Street ground after Sawtry midfielder Chris Down suddenly collapsed just before half-time of a ChromaSport and Trophies Peterborough League Premier Division match.
At first, Pinchbeck player/manager Ian Dunn – who was at the opposite end of the pitch – thought the player had been injured in a challenge, but actually he had just slumped to the ground and there were soon frantic appeals for a first aider.
Ian (33) admitted that he was “scared” and feared the worst when he got to Chris.
“I was worried,” he said. “He did have a pulse but he wasn’t breathing. I couldn’t feel the warmth of his breath on the back of my hand.
“He was in the recovery position so I rolled him on to his back to check his airway and clear it.
“As I did that he seemed to take a breath.”
Chris gave a bit of a splutter and started to breathe again.
He continued to drift in and out of consciousness, but Ian – assisted by a nurse who had been a spectator at the match – continued to talk to him and received reactions.
“I got him to respond to me by blinking, so I knew he could hear me,” Ian said.
First Responders were on the scene in about 15 minutes.
Unfortunately it was a long wait until an ambulance arrived to take Chris to hospital in Peterborough.
He was treated on the pitch for about 25 minutes before being stretchered into the clubhouse.
Ian, who works for Lincolnshire County Council with young people, has been first aid qualified for about 12 years and regularly attends update training sessions.
He has played down how much he did on Saturday, but stressed how important first aid training can be.
“I didn’t do an awful lot, in essence’” he said. “You don’t think about too much at the time – you just go into auto-pilot.
“But I have to admit I did think I was going to have to do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and the thought crossed my mind that this time it was actually going to be on a real person and would I do it right.”
He added: “It just goes to show why the league says it’s so important for clubs to have trained first aiders.”
Chris spent the night in hospital and returned home on Sunday.
The match, which Sawtry were winning 1-0, was abandoned by the referee.
