Harry to the rescue
Quick-thinking prince uses his Army training to save polo rival
AS a polo player lies unconscious after a fall, the first to his assistance is his opponent Prince Harry.
The 27-year- old prince immediately leapt from his horse after businessman Bash Kazi crashed to the turf following a collision with two other riders.
Harry, who has learned first-aid techniques in the Army, gently rolled the stricken rider on to his side in the recovery position.
And when Mr Kazi came round, his royal rescuer helped him to his feet.
It is believed that 41-year-old Mr Kazi, chief executive of the U.S. defence technology firm KIG, suffered minor concussion but he was able to walk off the field and even rejoined the match later.
Medical experts said yesterday that Harry’s prompt action could have saved his opponent’s life. Joe Mulligan, head of first aid at the British Red Cross, said: ‘Given the prince is a veteran of Afghanistan and an active duty officer in the British Army, he’s presumably had good training in basic trauma care – so it’s not surprising he knew what to do.
‘But his actions do underline a very serious point: when accidents happen, particularly on a sports field, someone needs to have the confidence and skills to step in immediately and help. Simply laying someone on their side so they can breathe properly is good first aid and could save that person’s life.
‘We know the public are often misled into believing that first aid is complex and difficult to learn, but learning the basic steps that can save someone’s life is easy and something anyone can do.’
The incident happened last month in Campinas, Brazil, where Harry and Mr Kazi were playing in a match to raise funds for the prince’s charity, Sentebale, which helps children in the poverty-stricken African kingdom of Lesotho.
Mr Kazi, who has played polo for 25 years and divides his time between Washington and California, has little recollection of the incident – apart from coming round and seeing Harry’s ‘piercing blue eyes’ looking down at him.
But he was full of praise for the prince’s actions.
‘Prince Harry was the first one off his horse, doing the right thing, turning me over to make sure I regained consciousness,’ he said.
‘I remember waking up with these piercing blue eyes looking at me. I think I had a minor concussion but I’ve since had a CT scan and everything is clear.’ Mr Kazi, who later joined Harry on the players’ rostrum, added: ‘He is a fabulous person and such a gentleman. I look forward to squaring off with him in the U.S.’
He added: ‘The glamour of polo is watching these powerful horses charge up and down a lawn ten times the size of a football field, at 35 to 40 miles an hour. It’s like playing hockey while being mounted on a horse.’ But, he added: ‘It’s no more dangerous than rugby or football or ice hockey.’ In the back of the prince’s mind could have been an incident involving his father. In 2001, Prince Charles was taken to hospital after being knocked unconscious during a polo match and swallowing his tongue.
Harry and brother William, who were competing alongside their father in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, leapt from their own horses to check on him.
He was treated by a paramedic before he was lifted off on a stretcher and taken to hospital.