Hero off-duty South Yorkshire firefighter saves father-of-three's life pitch side at Champions League game

Caz Whiteman, who is based at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue's training centre, was in the crowd for Leicester City's 2-0 win over Spanish team Sevilla at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday when a fellow spectator collapsed with a suspected heart attack.

Quick-thinking Caz immediately rushed down from her seat in the stand to support pitch side paramedics to deliver cardio-pulmonary resuscitation for more than 15 minutes until he was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The man, who has three children, is now making a full recovery.

Caz said: “My seats were just three rows from the front of the pitch and just as the teams were starting to come out for the second half, I noticed that a spectator was in difficulty. I came down to the front of the pitch to see what I could do to help and it became clear he had suffered a heart attack and gone into cardiac arrest.

"Along with the pitch side medics, I cleared his airway and immediately performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions."

She added: "This is where the skills I’ve picked up from my day job really came into their own. My actions were a natural, instinctive reaction to the situation in front of me.

"Anyone with the right skills and training would have done the same thing. But I’m just so relieved that he has made it and I wish him well for a full recovery.”

Martin Blunden, deputy chief fire officer of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said: “I already know that we employ an incredible selection of individuals who perform brilliantly, day in, day out, to keep our communities safe.

"But Caz’s brilliant quick thinking and life saving actions really did go above and beyond the call of duty and highlight that, in some ways, a firefighter is never ‘off duty’. The skills and training we give our crews stay with them for life, which this inspiring, life saving story confirms.”