Talk of the Toon
10,000 fans chant ‘Hero’ as A&E doc helps to save Newcastle fan
A DOCTOR said having 10,000 football fans chant “hero” at him was one of the best times of his life after he saved a man who had a cardiac arrest during a Premier League game.
Newcastle United fan Tom Prichard, 34, rushed from his seat to help administer a defibrillator and perform CPR to restart the unnamed supporter’s heart.
The drama was witnessed by millions of viewers on TV during Newcastle’s 2-3 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park on Sunday.
The stricken man is believed to be a dad of two who was attending the game with a 92-year-old friend.
Tom, who works as an emergency consultant at
North Tees Hospital in Hartlepool, Co Durham, paid tribute to the St John Ambulance volunteers and the other medics on the scene.
They included his friend, cancer specialist Dr Matt Anderson, retired nurse Ruth McDonald, the United club doctor
Joe Cosgrove, a cardiologist and another A&E doctor.
United’s first team doctor Paul Catterson also ran on the pitch with a defibrillator to help.
Tom, a season ticket holder at Newcastle United for 14 years, said: “It all happened very quickly.
“I saw there was a commotion in the stands near me, and when I got there they were doing CPR on him as he lay across the seats.
“St John Ambulance had the pads on him and I gave a shock and helped with the CPR to get a pulse back.
“It was a real team effort. St John Ambulance did brilliantly as it is not easy doing that with 50,000 fans looking on. This fan was very lucky, he had such great help around him.”
Tom, who also works for rugby league side Newcastle Thunder and part-time for Middlesbrough Academy, was cheered by 10,000 fans in the Gallowgate End of the ground as he returned to his seat.
He said: “It was the second greatest thing to happen to me after getting married.
“It was a great feeling.” Tom, of Newcastle, was unaware the game had been halted by referee Andre Marriner for 24 minutes until he received his standing ovation.
“I went into overdrive and focussed on what I needed to do,” he said. “I was completely unaware of what was happening on the pitch behind me.”
The Mirror is campaigning to get a defibrillator in every public building in the UK.
Tom added: “That is a fantastic idea, I support that campaign. I don’t want to be a hero, this is not about the glitz and glamour. “I just want to get the message out on how to save lives. Early CPR and the defibrillator were vital, as they were with Christian Eriksen.”
Denmark midfielder Eriksen was saved after a cardiac arrest in a Euro 2020 game in June.
Matt, who works at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, helped a fan who had a cardiac arrest outside Old Trafford after a Manchester United game two weeks ago.
He used a defibrillator from a nearby restaurant to save him.
A Newcastle club spokesman thanked everyone involved in saving the fan, who was described as being in a stable condition.
It was the second greatest thing after getting married
DR TOM PRICHARD ON THE APPLAUSE FOR HIM