Dad brought back to life after cardiac arrest during football friendly

Two Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) staff members along with several bystanders saved the life of a dad after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a football friendly.

Peter Dunn, 64 of Grangemouth, was playing Falkirk FC FFIT (Falkirk Football Fans in Training) against Ness FC at Falkirk Football Club when he suddenly collapsed in the 88^th minute.

Along with a charge nurse and two police officers, Christopher Adams, Technician of Stornoway Ambulance Station and Martin Macleod, Paramedic of Barvas Ambulance Station - playing for Ness FC - commenced CPR immediately while an ambulance and Paramedic Response Unit (PRU) was dispatched, with the PRU arriving within five minutes.

Christopher and Martin were recently shortlisted in the Central FM Local Hero Awards held in Dunblane (November 2023).

Peter, a part-time gardener, said: “I would like to thank everyone who helped me, including my partner Karen and my daughter. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today. It was great for Chris and Martin to be recognised at the awards.”

Speaking of the incident, the Falkirk FC player said: “It was in the last two minutes of the game and I just collapsed.”

The next thing he remembers is waking up in the hospital, adding: “I just sort of sat up and came to. I didn’t know what had happened until I started getting messages.

“The nurse explained that I had a cardiac arrest. I actually felt absolutely great, but I think it was because of the morphine. I still had my football boots on.”

Peter spent the next three weeks in hospital after the incident on August 4, 2023, and has since returned home where he continues his recovery after having a triple bypass. He has also returned to work and might return to “walking football” down the track.

He also thanked the hospital’s nurses and doctors for the care he received.

Christopher said it was a privilege to be nominated for the Central FM Awards, despite not winning. Of the incident, he said: “Initially thinking he'd stumbled, I realised he had made no effort to stop his fall or in fact get back up. I knelt down and rolled him onto his back and check his breathing and pulse. At that point one of my teammates and a player on the other team, who are both A&E nurses, helped with compressions and mouth to mouth as I removed his shirt. Another player had run to get a defibrillator whilst Martin was on the phone to the ambulance call handler. 

“As we prepared to enter the second shock, the Falkirk PRU arrived. It was following that shock we regained an output and Roddy Mackenzie, the A&E nurse from Stornoway, cannulated Peter. The  ambulance arrived and the crew took Peter into the back of the ambulance where he was able to give them his personal details and they transported him to a hospital.” 

Martin said: "It shows the importance of public access defibs – Falkirk have 3 at the stadium - and I am so proud of how we all came together and worked so well together and to have been nominated for an award. Its great to see Peter doing so well and we look forward to welcoming them to Ness next year."