Family thank off-duty firefighter for saving man's life at football match

The family of a man who suffered a cardiac arrest at a football match recently have thanked the off-duty Staffordshire firefighter who they credit for saving his life.
 

Stuart Wright, aged 60, of Wimblebury, had been attending the Hednesford Town v Congleton Town match at Hednesford on Saturday 3 May, when he was taken ill. 

He was attending the game with his two sons, Jake and Mitchell, along with his 10-year-old grandson, when he suddenly felt dizzy. 

Many supporters were celebrating the side's success, in the Northern Premier League West Division play-off final, when Jake noticed something was amiss. 

Jake, 32, of Rugeley, said: "I saw dad lean against the barrier and I thought he was just celebrating and that any minute he'd lift up his arms. 

"But he didn't, and when I got closer to him I realised he was out of it."

The car factory worker then shouted to his brother, Mitchell, who called 999. 

Jake said: "I lifted dad off the barrier and took his weight, then I shouted to the crowd that we needed medical help. 

"Out of nowhere, Ade appeared and said, 'I know what to do, I'm a firefighter', and the relief I felt was amazing. 

"He got dad on his back and did CPR, then he told me to take my nephew away from the area while they were working on dad and my brother was speaking to the ambulance. 

"Then an off-duty paramedic came over to help as well. 

"They took it in turns to do chest compressions before the defibrillator was used."

Stuart needed four rounds from the defibrillator in order to get his heart working again and came to just as the air ambulance was landing to take him to hospital. 

He is currently recovering in hospital and has since been diagnosed with a leak in one of his heart valves. 

"I do believe that if my dad hadn't have been at the match and Ade hadn't have literally come to his aid that day, the worst could have happened,” Jake said.

Stuart's wife, Larraine, added: “If it wasn't for Ade's quick actions and professionalism that day, it would have been a very different outcome, he saved Stuart's life. 

"We want to pass on our deepest thanks from the bottom of mine and my children's hearts. 

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"Ade is an outstanding gentleman."

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Ade Wilkes, who is an on-call firefighter based in Cannock as part of orange watch, said:
“I’m chuffed to bits to know Stuart survived and is going to be okay. 

“I wasn’t prepared for it, not like when we’re on the truck preparing for a fire with casualties, it was completely different.

“It’s like a switch went off in my head, I went into work mode and just did what I knew I had to do.

“In all my 16 years at Cannock, I don’t think I’ve had a better rescue, it was a very surreal day.”

Since the match, Ade has received a special award at the school where he works as a pastoral manager and has received hundreds of messages from fellow Hednesford Town fans as well as the club. 

“When you’re in the moment doing what you need to do to help that person, it’s all adrenaline, but when I’ve been getting all these messages, it has really brought it all home how touch-and-go it was at that time. 

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“I’m so pleased I was able to help Stuart and his family and I hope he soon gets back to regular life at home.”

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To find out more about what we do and our on-call fire fighter roles, visit: What we do | Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service 

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