A quick thinking mum performed life-saving CPR for more than 25 minutes, just hours after she completed a refresher course.

Lisa Jefferies, 39, was watching her son’s under 9 football match at Greenfields Primary School in South Oxhey between Oxhey Jets and Berkhamsted Raiders on the morning of February 25, when a grandfather suddenly collapsed.

Mrs Jefferies initially thought the man, aged in his 60s, was having a seizure but realised when she couldn’t find a pulse and saw the colour draining from his face that he was suffering from a cardiac arrest.

The grandfather, who does not want to be named, was watching his grandson play for the Raiders when he collapsed.

Mrs Jefferies ran towards him and immediately began administering chest compressions which she carried on doing for a staggering 25 minutes before she eventually got tired and a friend was forced to take over for five minutes before paramedics arrived.

Remarkably, Mrs Jefferies had only just completed a refresher course in first aid the day before. The child minder is trained to perform first aid on adults and children but she had never had to perform CPR until now.

She said: “A human body is so different compared to a dummy. You just can’t take your hands off them.

“I never lost hope and I was always going to keep on going. The call handler on the phone was helping us every step of the way as did my friends, John and Nicola.”

Watford Observer:

An ambulance and an air ambulance arrived just as the man gained consciousness and he was taken to hospital by road. He has since recovered and is now back home.

Mrs Jefferies said the incident proves that anyone can save someone’s life if they have the right training.

“It has taken a while to get over myself, but we all managed to save a life. It’s really important for people to learn this if they get the choice.

“I think the refresher course I did helped me. It definitely made me react more quickly.”

Lisa Drewitt, wife of Oxhey Jets manager Barry Drewitt, added that she couldn’t be more “proud” of Lisa, and said that the children were also “calm and respectful” during the incident.

You can find out how to perform potentially life saving first aid here