A MAN’S life was saved at The Greig Leisure Centre in Alcester when he suffered a heart attack whilst playing badminton.
Harry Marsh, aged 25, was playing the sport with his friends earlier this month when he collapsed.
Members of the karate club, who were training nearby, immediately started doing chest compressions, while Harry’s friends sought help from leisure centre staff.
General manager Tom Wilson reacted quickly and took over to administer CPR. He then used the defibrillator on Harry, shocking him twice, until he regained consciousness.
Duty manager Danny Costello supported Tom in the situation, clearing the sports hall so Harry’s friends did not have to watch what was happening. He also called an ambulance.
Harry was taken to hospital for tests, which revealed he had a genetic heart condition called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. He has been fitted with an ICD to manage the condition and prevent any future episodes like this.
Harry is now in recovery, and has shared his words of thanks to the leisure centre and karate club.
He said: “A thank you doesn’t seem enough when the staff saved my life. I feel incredibly lucky that not only am I here, but I am also in good health.
“It’s all down to the staff and the karate class who acted quickly and saved me. I’m now in a position where I can still live a normal and active life.
“I’ve got six weeks of rest now, but after that, I can resume my normal life – all thanks to everyone on hand that day.”
Harry also returned to the leisure centre a week later to thank the staff in-person.
Richard Bell, contract manager for Everyone Active (the operator of The Greig Leisure Centre), said: “I’m immensely proud of Tom, Danny and the rest of the team for how they reacted on that day. It’s a testament to their professionalism and care for our members.
“It also highlights how critical CPR training is, particularly in the world of sport where the number of young people with life-threatening heart conditions is growing.”
This incident follows the launch of the British Heart Foundation’s Every Minute Matters campaign, fronted by popular footballers like Tom Lockyer and Graeme Souness, who have experienced cardiac issues themselves. The aim of the campaign is to encourage over 250,000 to learn life-saving CPR skills over the next year.
Richard added: “We’re so pleased that Harry is recovering, and that the doctors have given him the green light to resume normal activity after six weeks.
“It goes to show that, the more people who are trained in administering CPR, the more positive outcomes we can have like this.”
