The wife of a north-east football fan who collapsed on match day at Peterhead FC has praised the man who saved his life as “a hero”.
Val Pearson, 67, fell to the ground with chest pains in the car park at Balmoor Stadium after arriving to cheer on his team play Dunfermline Athletic on August 22.
His life was saved when the club’s general manager, Nat Porter, and Dunfermline physiotherapist Kenny Murray rushed to his aid with the ground’s defibrillator.
Last night, Mr Pearson’s wife, Irene, said she was “grateful” for the way her husband was helped – and said the actions of those who came to his rescue would not be forgotten.
She said: “We understand how lucky we are that Val had that help so quickly.
“The paramedic staff popped in to see Val in the critical care ward the following day and they spoke very highly of the physio because he’d already done two defibs before they even got there – his treatment started early.
“Certainly, the physio is a hero in our eyes. These people are trained to do this I suppose – it’s part of there job – but he’ll always be a hero to us.”
“The ambulance, the police and everyone really worked so hard and he’s recovering now.
“We’re left feeling so grateful that all these people were here to help him. All Val keeps saying is that he was in the right place at the right time.
“It’s just been such a shock to us all and we’re so grateful for the aid he received at the football ground, in the ambulance and at the hospital. It was all clockwork – he couldn’t have received better attention from the emergency services.”
Mr Pearson was still in hospital over the weekend as he continues to recover following the health scare.
He worked for 25-years as a chemist at Total Oil Machines and, latterly, Enviroco, is a member of his local club.
After coming to in the hospital, Mrs Pearson said that one of the first things he asked about was the result against Dunfermline – her first indication that everything would be fine.
Last night, club manager Mr Porter said: “We now just hope he makes a full recovery to see the Blue Toon in action for the rest of the season – we would be delighted to welcome him back.”
Meanwhile, The Football Partnership, which has donated defibrillators to football clubs across the country, stressed the importance of the devices at all grounds.
A spokesman said: “If it’s not on-hand, then it’s not there to save someone’s life.
Officials at Dunfermline Athletic, meanwhile, said they were “delighted” that Mr Pearson was in a stable condition.
They described Mr Murray as a “credit to himself, and to our club”.