Hero referee in bid to save life of Doncaster boy who went into cardiac arrest during football game

A Doncaster referee sprang into action  to help a 10-year-old boy who suddenly went into a cardiac arrest during a football game.
Daniel Fagg, 10, went into cardiac arrest during a football game on Sunday morningDaniel Fagg, 10, went into cardiac arrest during a football game on Sunday morning
Daniel Fagg, 10, went into cardiac arrest during a football game on Sunday morning

Just moments before little Dan Fagg collapsed, the ‘talented’ striker had scored a goal for his team, Adwick Park Rangers JFC at their home ground in Adwick le Street.

Chris Crowe was refereeing and says he realised something was wrong when he saw Daniel suddenly fall to the ground out of the corner of his eye.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He just dropped to the floor. I stopped the game and ran over straight away,” said Chris, of Howden Avenue, Skellow.

The 54-year-old added: “His eyes were gone, and he wasn’t breathing.

“As I went to give CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) someone else had phoned an ambulance and someone else went to the Adwick Leisure Centre to see if they had a defibrillator which is at least five minutes away.

“I started giving him CPR there on the pitch.

“I’ve had first aid training for my work and with the FA because you have to have it to be a referee, and I’m so glad I did because I knew exactly what to do in that moment.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The ambulance came not long after, and then the air ambulance.

“I can’t praise them enough for what they did, and I think Dan’s going to make a full recovery so thank God for that. He’s a talented player, and we’ll all look forward to seeing him on the pitch again soon.

“I was calm at the time, but now I feel like I’m still in shock from it. It was a really traumatic thing to see happen.

“One of the parents took the kids over to another bit of the ground to watch another game that was taking place, and I’m glad that they did because that would have been a terrible thing for them to see.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dan was airlifted to hospital in Sheffield for emergency treatment, shortly after he collapsed at around 10am on Sunday, August 21.

Chris, who is also Club Chairman for Adwick Park Rangers, says Dan’s parents Hayley Thompson and Anthony Fagg have told him the youngster is now talking and is recovering well.

Dan’s collapse has prompted a fundraising drive from the club and its supporters to buy a defibrillator for the club.

A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest, and can be an essential lifesaving step in the chain of survival.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The campaign to buy a defibrillator has already raised over £1,350 through an online GoFundMe page.

Emma Hutchinson’s son Rhys, 10, was playing with Adwick Park Rangers when Dan collapsed and is among the parents who have helped to organise a charity car wash at the Nissan Garage on Wheatley Hall Road, between 9.30am and 3pm on Saturday, September 3.

She said: “All of the lads will be washing the cars, and all of the mums and dads have helped to organise it.

“We all just want to do something for Dan. He’s the nicest, bubbliest little lad you could ever meet and we just want to do what we can to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Because if the ambulance hadn’t been so quick, or I hadn’t been on my way to get a defibrillator who knows what would have happened.”

Visit https://www.gofundme.com/2kwyvx64 to donate to the campaign .