Lifesaving duo’s Shearer surprise
SHEARER PRESENTS AWARD TO COUPLE WHO CAME TO THE RESCUE OF CARDIAC ARREST VICTIM
NEWCASTLE United legend Alan Shearer left Hexham walking footballers starstruck as he presented two lifesavers with special awards.
Shearer paid a visit to Wentworth Leisure Centre on Monday morning for a small ceremony on behalf of Active Northumberland duty manager John Fox and nurse Elaine Pegg.
John and Elaine’s quick thinking and decisive actions helped save a walking footballer’s life after he collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest at the centre on February 23 last year.
The lifesavers were rewarded as Shearer - in his role as deputy lieutenant for Northumberland - presented the pair with Royal Humane Society for Resuscitation Awards.
The Newcastle United legend said: “It’s great to be here.
“It’s a great success story which could have been so much worse if it wasn’t for the quick thinking of John and Elaine to save someone’s life.
“It was great to hand over the much deserved awards. They are deserving of the highest of praise for their actions in this challenging situation.”
Nurse Elaine, a wife of one of the players, was enjoying a cup of coffee in the cafe just after 1pm on February 23 when she saw the walking footballer collapse in front of her.
Fearing he had suffered a seizure, she rushed to his aid and quickly recognised the footballer had stopped breathing.
Elaine, 52, from Hexham, said: “It was a little bit like chaos because there were so many people around. I have no idea how long it was before the ambulance arrived.”
Duty manager John swiftly arrived at the scene to provide assistance to Elaine.
The footballer showed no response to initial CPR attempts, but the pair’s determined efforts and use of the centre’s defibrillator machine helped bring about signs of life.
John, 51, from Hexham, said: “We were concentrating on his breathing and compressions, the training took over from the panic.
“The ambulance was no more than 10 minutes which was fantastic.”
Paramedics treated the footballer for a further 20 minutes before transporting him to a specialist cardiac centre.
The patient has since made a full recovery, but has no recollection of the events.
We were concentrating on his breathing and compressions, the training took over from the panic. John Fox
Elaine and John were informed about the awards since the turn of the year, but were shocked to learn it would be Shearer presenting them with it.
Elaine said: “It was a really nice thing to happen and get recognition for.
“People will have done an awful lot more and not received recognition.” Newcastle United fan John added: “Today was a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be.
“I was a bit nervous about meeting one of my heroes!” Shearer also took time at Wentworth Leisure Centre to learn about the benefits of walking football, and observed several training exercises.
The Newcastle United legend joked anyone who impressed him was in with a shot of playing for the Magpies at Wolves on Monday night.
Walking footballer Roger Jones, 62, of Stocksfield, has been a member of the club for more than two years.
He says it has been “release” for those like him who have suffered illness, and says football has become an essential part of his life.
Roger explained the team’s camaraderie had been strengthened following the incident, stating that “it put things into perspective”.