The dramatic efforts of Club Doncaster Foundation gym staff and users to save the life of a grandfather is featured in the next episode of Helicopter ER – the reality TV series featuring the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
When the 69-year-old suffered a massive heart attack during a Fit Rovers session at the Eco-Power Stadium, gym staff, and bystanders used a defibrillator and performed CPR for more than 10 minutes before emergency services arrived.
Their actions saved the life of the critically ill man who was placed in a medically induced coma at the scene by a Yorkshire Air Ambulance doctor before being rushed to hospital where he was fitted with a pacemaker.
Club Doncaster Foundation members have since raised money to buy a fourth defibrillator which can be used when visiting the charity’s community venues.
Foundation CEO John Davis said: “I was there and was incredibly proud of the way the team responded and dealt with what was a very dramatic event afterwards.
“I’d also like to thank the quick response and professional work of the emergency services, including Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which meant our Fit Rovers user got the vital care he needed on the scene.
“It really brought home the value of CPR training and having accessible, life-saving equipment. We were delighted that as a result of what happened the Foundation raised enough funds to buy another mobile defibrillator which our teams are now using in community venues across Doncaster.
The dramatic story features in Friday’s episode of Helicopter ER, made by Air TV for Warner Brothers Discovery, which follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA).
The programme, which airs on Quest at 9 pm, also features a man who was struck on the head by a falling tree, a pensioner who fell off a ladder, and a cyclist who came off his bike at speed.
Photo: Emergency services work to save the life of a pensioner who suffered a massive heart attack during a gym session at the Eco-Popwer Stadium, Doncaster.
Read more news from Yorkshire Air Ambulance HERE.