Luton Town fan helps save life of man who collapsed in pub

A Luton Town fan has been credited with helping to save the life of a man who collapsed in a pub ahead of the Hatters' match with Blackpool on Saturday afternoon.
The Thatched House pub where the drama took placeThe Thatched House pub where the drama took place
The Thatched House pub where the drama took place

Supporter Mat Davis jumped to the aid of a pensioner when he was taken ill in the Thatched House in Poulton before the League Two game.

The man, in his 70s, collapsed at the bar of the Ball Street pub. And Mr Davis, who had travelled north to see his side play at Bloomfield Road, began to give him CPR. Witnesses report that Mr Davis brought the pensioner “back from the dead” twice.

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Landlord Neil Smith said: “It was around 12.30pm and we had a group of around a dozen in from Luton.

“Suddenly one of our regulars collapsed. This lad Matthew started giving him CPR. We dialled 999 and eventually a police officer arrived with a defibrillator.

“They continued to work on him and they revived him twice on the floor by the bar.”

Sergeant Steve Hardman was the police officer who responded to the call. And he battled to keep the pensioner alive until an ambulance crew reached the pub. Sgt Hardman, a traffic officer with Lancashire Police, said: “I received the call at around 12.30pm.

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“I believe a member of the public had run to Poulton police station to see if there were any first aid trained officers. The call went out over the radio and I wasn’t far away.

“We carry the defibrillator in the car. When I arrived at the scene I found it was worse than initially reported. A member of the public was giving CPR but he was concerned it was not working.

“The patient was not breathing. I set up the machine, let it assess the patient and administered the shocks.

“I kept with him until the ambulance arrived and continued to work on him with paramedics. Eventually we were able to bring him round and he was talking to us in the pub. He was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital and I visited him later when we were able to have a full conversation.”

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The landlord, Mr Smith, added: “The recovery was remarkable. Football supporters might have a bad name. This group came to us because they wanted a real ale pub. One of them has ended up saving a life. They came back in after the match and I’m sure a lot of people will have thanked Matthew for what he did.”

Luton Town Football Club has paid tribute to his actions. The club tweeted: “Well done...a true Hatters hero on a day full of them. We hope the person involved is well and makes a full recovery.”

And it appears the victim is making a good recovery.

Zena King tweeted in response: “My Dad’s doing well, thanks to everyone who acted so quickly. Pls get basic first aid training if you think u wouldn’t have known what to do.”

She added via Facebook: “Yeah he’s ‘fine’. Will need a pacemaker and is taking the opportunity to say from now on it’s safer for him to be in the pub than at home. Any excuse!”

> Check back on Luton Today/Luton News later this week for an interview with Mat.