Ambulance staff save referee's life (From Watford Observer)

Ambulance staff save referee's life

10:02am Friday 18th May 2007 in News By John Harrison

THE wife of a referee who had a heart attack and was resuscitated in the middle of a football pitch on Sunday has praised St John Ambulance staff for saving her husband's life.

Hundreds of shocked spectators looked on as medics had to treat Dave Atkinson with a defibrillator three times after he collapsed in the centre circle during the match.

Dave, from Hemel Hempstead, was refereeing an under-18 final between Bedmond Ajax and Nascot Wood at a junior football tournament held at Sun Postal Sports Ground, in Watford on Sunday.

The tournament featured more than 50 teams playing on several pitches, and attracted more than 1,000 spectators through the day.

Dave, 49, had been a linesman for an earlier game and then took charge of the final, which kicked off at 3pm. However, he keeled over five minutes before half-time, at around 3.40pm.

Two St John Ambulance members rushed onto the pitch, found he had gone into cardiac arrest and that his heart had stopped.

The two medics, Colin West and Clive Gay, both from Watford, began to administer CPR and eventually managed to resuscitate Dave and keep him alive until an ambulance arrived.

He was then rushed to Watford General but was transferred to St Mary's Hospital in London where he is now recovering.

Dave, who works at Heathrow, has now regained consciousness and is out of intensive care.

His wife Heather said he was making a slow recovery.

However, she said without the help of St John medics Dave would have died.

She said: "The consultant said to him that his heart actually stopped and if they hadn't been there, he would now be dead.

"They saved his life. They were there at the right time for him and I can't say how grateful I am. I just can't praise them enough."

She said she intends to contact both Colin and Clive to thank them personally.

Colin, of Eastlea Avenue, joined St John Ambulance in 1978 but admitted that before Sunday, he had only ever practiced CPR on a dummy.

"In all the years I have been with St John, this is the first time my skills have been called into action to quite such a degree", he said.

"It was a frightening scenario but you simply go into automatic-pilot and call on the training you have spent so long learning.

"We were fortunate to have been on scene when he collapsed, because time was very much of the essence."

The match was abandoned and will be replayed on Sunday morning at Berkhamsted Town FC.

Heather said that Dave had already asked what the final score was and says she hopes to go to attend the replay.

She added: "We were very, very lucky but I don't think Dave realises yet how lucky he has been."