Golfing docs save life of OAP in Sutton Coldfield

May 16 2008 By Neil Elkes

OFF-duty doctors saved the life of an elderly man after he suffered a heart attack on a golf course.

The man, believed to be in his 70s, collapsed at the Sutton Coldfield Golf Club near the Thornhill Road entrance to Sutton Park just after 10am yesterday.

The doctors, who were playing nearby, restarted his heart with emergency CPR as they waited for the air ambulance to arrive.

The man was taken to Heartlands Hospital for further treatment.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "When crews arrived at the golf course they found a man who had collapsed from a cardiac arrest.

"Luckily for the man there were a group of off-duty doctors playing golf nearby who did CPR until crews arrived. "The medical onlookers who carried out the emergency treatment before the ambulance crews arrived helped to start this man's heart and breathing and ultimately played a part in saving his life.

"CPR is a vital skill to have and is crucial in the early stages of cardiac and respiratory arrest as it can mean life or death to the patient."