Footballer making good recovery after training heart attack (From Western Telegraph)

Footballer making good recovery after training heart attack

9:00am Saturday 19th January 2013 in News

The friends and family of a Fishguard footballer who collapsed with a suspected heart attack have thanked those who battled to save his life.

Fishguard AFC player Nicky Badland (pictured) is said to be making a ‘miraculous’ recovery after suffering a heart attack while training last Thursday night.

Friends and teammates feared the worst when he collapsed during training on the astroturf at Fishguard Leisure Centre. But fortunately for the 32-year-old, there were experienced first aiders on hand to help until an ambulance arrived. After being taken to Withybush, Nicky was then transferred to Morriston Hospital, where he continues to be making a good recovery.

“There were 26 of us, including Nicky, training when the incident happened,” said club chairman and first team manager Owen Duggan.

“He was standing next to our treasurer Nigel Davies at the time, who luckily is qualified in first aid.”

Nigel put Nicky in the recovery position before leisure centre employee Lisa Starkey, who by chance had been called pitchside moments before to treat one of the players for a shoulder injury, then administered CPR while the emergency services were contacted.

“We are all indebted to the fact that Lisa was on hand,” said Owen.

“She was brilliant and stayed calm despite what was going on. In my eyes she saved his life and neither me or the club can thank her enough.

“To hear that Nicky is doing well and likely to make a full recovery is the best news we could have had.

It’s miraculous really.

“We are just thankful that it happened where it did and when it did, with the right people around to help.”

Owen added that the club was “extremely grateful” for all the messages of support it had received since the incident.

Nicky’s father, Geoff, echoed Owen’s sentiments: “He’s a making a full recovery and should be home within two or three days,” he told the Western Telegraph on Monday.

“I’d like to thank everybody for all their get well messages and in particular Lisa Starkey, she’s the hero of the hour.”

Lisa, who is a trained assessor for the Royal Life Savers Association, added: “The reaction of the boys close-by was great, and I’m just happy that I could help and, most importantly, that Nicky is getting better.”

Nicky, a long-standing player with The Sports, teaches engineering in Cardigan for the training company SkillStart.