South Yorkshire firefigher helps save father-of-three's life during Champion's League clash

Caz Whiteman was in the crowd for the match at King Power Stadium on Tuesday night when a fellow spectator collapsed with a suspected heart attack.

Caz, who was sat nearby, immediately rushed to support pitch side first aiders and deliver cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for more than 15 minutes until he was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The man, who has three children, is now making a full recovery.

She said: “My seats were just three rows from the front of the pitch and just as the teams were starting to come out for the second half, I noticed that a spectator was in difficulty.

“I came down to the front of the pitch to see what I could do to help and it became clear he had suffered a heart attack and gone into cardiac arrest.

“Along with the pitch side medics, I cleared his airway and immediately performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions.

“This is where the skills I’ve picked up from my day job really came into their own.”

She said that firefighters already have the skills and knowledge to provide care in emergency situations, particularly at incidents were they may arrive on scene before paramedics.

“My actions were a natural, instinctive reaction to the situation in front of me. Anyone with the right skills and training would have done the same thing. But I’m just so relieved that he has made it and I wish him well for a full recovery.”

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s deputy chief fire officer Martin Blunden said: “I already know that we employ an incredible selection of individuals who perform brilliantly, day in, day out, to keep our communities safe.

“But Caz’s brilliant quick thinking and life saving actions really did go above and beyond the call of duty and highlight that, in some ways, a firefighter is never ‘off duty’.

“The skills and training we give our crews stay with them for life, which this inspiring, life saving story confirms.”