After Succumbing to a Cardiac Arrest While Playing Golf, 66-Year-Old Blessed with a Second Life After Receiving Timely CPR

Golf isn’t one of the most strenuous sports to play. Yet, with its popularity amongst the older generations, a lookout for health concerns after a round of golf seems necessary. That is exactly what happened at a golf club in Hartlepool recently, where a senior citizen succumbed to a suspected cardiac arrest. What followed was a courageous attempt by two men who successfully saved the golf enthusiast.

Hartlepool men come to the rescue of an elderly golf enthusiast

By his own admission, 66-year-old Brian Bates wasn’t feeling troublesome on his golf day before he suddenly collapsed at the town’s High Throston Golf Club. With no one around, things looked bleak for Bates, but someone else was watching the entire scene unfold.

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As it happened, the local man, Jamie Barnecutt was keeping a watchful eye from the window when he saw Bates collapsing. He revealed later that he had a “sneaky feeling” that the victim was having a heart attack.

He immediately drove his car and began giving Bates CPR. In the meantime, Barnecutt’s cousin, 18-year-old Kai Cennell, who also works at the club, dialed 999 for help. An ambulance soon arrived and took care of the situation, as per Hartlepool Mail.

Thank you wishes pour in for the savior

Later, Barnecutt received a hero’s welcome after the news broke across the town. But what was going through his mind when performing the crucial medical procedure? “I thought we need to get this guy back to life,” he said. “His family and friends are over the moon. They’ve all thanked me.”

But how did a local lad have the practical knowledge of giving CPR? As is the case, Jamie got first aid training while in his time with the army, which proved to be a lifesaver in the situation. “If you have a little bit of training, even the basics of training, you could save somebody’s life,” he claimed.

Going back to Bates, the 66-year-old is recuperating well. “I’ll be seeing Jamie and giving him a cuddle,” he said from his hospital bed. “If it’s not for them people looking out the window, not for them people doing what they do well, I wouldn’t be here. A big thank you to the people who helped me. Jamie, the paramedics.”

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Do you think golf clubs should have an attached defibrillator to avoid such near-fatal scenarios? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.