Dad's life was saved by his teammates on the football pitch when it seemed he would die.

Keith and his son Louis had a fateful encounter during their 5-a-side football match. On March 11, 2022, Keith suffered a terrifying cardiac arrest on the pitch and was in dire need of help. Thankfully, Louis was there to step in and act quickly.

Louis recalled: “Me and dad were just kicking the ball around by the side of the pitch after warming up. I turned around to see him collapse backwards onto the floor. His body was really tensed up and he wasn’t breathing properly.”

Louis shouted for help and checked his dad’s airways, and two other players with first aid training rushed to Keith’s side and began performing CPR. Adam, a firefighter whose child was playing on the youth team, also ran over to help the group. He continued resuscitation and gave guidance so a defibrillator kept on the grounds at Bournside School in Cheltenham could be used on Keith.

Thanks to the quick thinking of those around him, Keith was one of the mere 10% of people who survive after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. His chances of pulling through were doubled due to the chest compressions and use of the defibrillator.

The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity was then called, with land paramedics attending the scene in a critical care vehicle. While Keith’s pulse had been restored, he was still unconscious, so medics performed a heart trace and supported his breathing before taking him to the nearest cardiac specialist unit at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

The incident was unexpected as Keith had been to the doctor for breathlessness two months prior, but had been sent home with some medication. Keith feels he was both unlucky and lucky, as he is fairly fit and takes care of himself, but was in the right place at the right time to receive the help he needed.

After spending a week in hospital, Keith was able to go home. He recovered quickly and was back on the pitch playing football within four months. Adam the fireman was presented with a special award for his actions that night and received a standing ovation.

Keith and his family are endlessly grateful for the help of everyone there that evening. He has since climbed Ben Nevis with his two sons, saying he now feels fitter than he has for a long time.

This September marks Air Ambulance Week, an important time for air ambulance charities as they remind everyone that they can’t save lives without help from the public. Air ambulance charities collectively make over 37,000 missions each year across the UK, with 37 air ambulance helicopters operated by 21 air ambulance charities providing pre-hospital care support to the NHS.

To show your support for Air Ambulance Week, you can make a one-off donation to Air Ambulances UK on the website, or get in direct contact with your local air ambulance charity. Get in touch by emailing email to share your story.

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