Hero paramedic steps in to save Black Country man, 24, suffering cardiac arrest at Villa match

The 24-year-old is now recovering in hospital after being given CPR at the scene by another supporter, Heidi Elliott, a trainee paramedic from Leicestershire who sits just a few rows away in the lower tier of the Holte End.

Josh’s father Jason, a retired police officer from Tipton, described how Elliott “appeared out of nowhere” when he desperately called for help.

He told the Express & Star: “We were screaming for the paramedics and then this girl just appeared out of nowhere.

“She said: ‘I’m a paramedic. Let me have a look’.

“I’m an ex-police officer and I just froze. Literally just froze. She just went in and then next thing I know everyone came in. They were just amazing, incredible.

“If it was not for that lady, then who knows what would have happened? She was amazing and then she disappeared into thin air.”

Elliott administered CPR for around three minutes before paramedics used a defibrillator to restart Josh’s heart. He was then taken to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital via an ambulance, which had backed into an entrance between the Holte End and Doug Ellis Stand.

Jason explained how Josh, a season ticket holder together with his dad and younger brothers Ethan and Tom, was born with a heart condition but had been in good health before suffering a ventricular fibrillation on Thursday night.

He said: “It could have happened at any time. I don’t know whether it was because he was screaming at the ref, or what.

“It was coming up to half-time. He had mentioned to one of his brothers he felt a bit sick but he was still bouncing around like he normally does.

“I did not see him fall down. Initially I thought he had banged his head but then I could see his eyes rolling.

“I knew the signs. Someone helped me get him into the recovery position and I put my finger in his mouth to make sure his tongue didn’t roll back.

“I could barely describe it. I am a professional and I froze. In the moment I froze. You almost feel useless. Thank God she was there and all the other paramedics, the police, the stewards, they were all incredible.

“It seemed to happen in seconds but I’ve been told it was between two to three minutes she was keeping him going with the CPR before the paramedics got there.

“After they used the defibrillator he started to come round and they sedated him before we went to hospital.

“Josh is feeling much better now. He is sat here in hospital moaning about the Villa, so I know he is doing OK!”

Jason is now eager to get in touch with Elliott to personally pass on his thanks to her and the other staff who came to his and his family’s aid.

He said: “I would love to find this woman and get Villa to do something for her. That is what I am desperate to do.”

Speaking earlier on Thursday morning to Radio WM, Elliott described how she had stepped in after noticing a commotion at the half-time interval.

She said: “I’m a season ticket holder with my dad. We did the usual, went for dinner and then made our way to the ground and watched the first half. Villa scored late on in the first half.

"It seemed like any other game up until half-time really. About four or five rows in front of us there was a commotion, with a large group of people waving trying to get the attention of stewards. That caught my eye and when I looked over I saw the young lad on the floor, bless him.

"He didn’t look well and I could tell that something was wrong. I looked where the paramedics were but we didn’t have their attention yet. That’s why I thought I can’t just stand there at that point and I had to go down and help.

"I’m doing my paramedic degree, so I said I could help and let me get near him. There was a lot of people trying to offer their assistance as well. It worried me that there was a lack of recognition that he was in cardiac arrest.

"When I got to him he was already in cardiac arrest. Immediately I started CPR. There were a few fans around encouraging me to get him in the recovery position, but I recognised that it wasn’t necessary at the time.

“It was more important that we got the CPR started. I knew the paramedics would be on scene to start a defibrillator. To start with that CPR is really important. The defibrillator came and administered shocks to the patient and then the paramedics took over.

"When the professionals get there as such, continuous chest compressions was really important. Also in the area we were in the rescue press would have been difficult to deliver. It was more important just to do the CPR, it is the most important part of it.”