A Massey club rugby player collapsed and was resuscitated by his wife, an ICU nurse, and others during an U85s game at Silverdale over the weekend.
Witnesses reported that the player suffered a head injury in a tackle before collapsing.
The player’s wife was one of the first responders, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using a defibrillator.
‘The referee called half-time early due to the incident, and the game was moved to another field to continue play,’ Silverdale supporter Nicci Budler told legacy media.
‘There were talks of a heart attack, prompting someone to fetch a defibrillator from the rugby club while CPR was being administered.’
St John confirmed that two rapid response units and an ambulance were dispatched at around 3:30 pm on Saturday. A spokesperson stated, ‘Our crews assessed and treated one patient, who was transported to Auckland Hospital in critical condition.’
This incident comes just a month after rugby player Cory Heather died from a head injury during a game between Beachlands Maraetai and Patumāhoe.
Budler noted the emotional impact on spectators, ‘What happened was hard to see, especially with the Beachlands incident still fresh in our minds.’
Image credit: Hanson Lu
