Quick action saves life of football fan

A Plymouth police officer has been praised for his actions after helping to save the life of a man who had suffered a suspected heart attack.

Response officer PC Ryan Northmore was on foot patrol at the Torquay v Newport match at the Plainmoor ground on Saturday afternoon (22 March) when he was alerted to a man who had fallen ill.

PC Northmore and a colleague from Gwent Police, PC Matthew Screen, went to the aid of the man, in his 50s, who had collapsed outside the ground.

He quickly established that the man, who was barely responsive and very pale, had an existing medical condition.

PC Northmore, 28, immediately called for an ambulance and despatched members of the public to find a defibrillator from a nearby shop. The man suddenly took a turn for the worse and PC Northmore found he had no pulse, and appeared deceased. He and PC Screen then commenced CPR.

After around four minutes of CPR, the man was brought back to life and began to breathe again. St John Ambulance and paramedics were quickly on the scene and he was taken to Torbay Hospital suffering from a suspected heart attack.

The man, an avid Newport supporter from Wales, was released from hospital the next day and is recovering very well.

Photo © Copyright David Hawgood and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

PC Northmore, who has been in the Force for eight years, said it was the first time in his policing career that he has faced such a situation.

“To be honest it is all a bit of a blur – rather surreal. The years of training got me through and saved the man’s life – I did what I was trained to do and on this occasion we had a happy ending,” he said.

“I have spoken to the nephew of the man and he is very happy. His uncle is alive and well and very grateful for what we did on that day. We hope to have contact with each other soon.”