A RUGBY league supporter whose heart stopped beating after he suffered a cardiac arrest at Langtree Park on Friday night has thanked the amazing team of medics, club stewards and fans who played a part in saving his life.

John Irving, 62, collapsed and stopped breathing five minutes into the second half of the Hull KR match. A remarkable emergency response followed, with a nurse and an off-duty cardiologist, who were sat nearby in the North Stand, assisting St John Ambulance and medics with the resuscitation.

Former British Nuclear Fuel worker John, says he blacked out and remembers nothing until he came around a few minutes later.

He said: "One minute I was watching the game, the next I woke up and was being carried down to an ambulance."

John, from Leyland, was taken to Whiston Hospital and has since been transferred to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.

He told the Star: "I've got nothing but praise for the guys who helped me – without them I wouldn't be here.

"I'm feeling relieved and so grateful that the right people were in the right place at the right time."

Off-duty doctor Dr John Morris – a consultant cardiologist from Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital – was sat nearby when the drama unfolded.

Dr Morris, a Saints season ticket holder, said: "I was watching the game and my wife tapped me on the shoulder and said they're doing CPR on someone over there.

"I asked if they had a defibrillator, they put it on him - they gave him a shock and his heart restarted.

"There are two things you need for an effective resuscitation – prompt CPR and a defibrillator with someone who knows how to use it. These two things came together to save his life.

"St John Ambulance and the stewards did a great job."

Louise Birchall, a forensic nurse with Merseyside Police, who was sitting in front of Mr Irving, said: "Someone said he'd fallen asleep but as soon as I saw him, as a nurse, I could tell he wasn't well at all.

"I maintained his airway and spoke to him, trying to get a response. There was no pulse.

"By this point, stewards had seen what was happening and someone called 999."

According to Louise, John was not breathing for around three minutes.

She said: "It was unbelievable the way everybody helped.

"I was first on scene, then experts took over and I made sure everybody stood back and was calm.

"The fans were fantastic – they just let the experts get on with the job."

Daniel Thomas, who witnessed the events, said: "The cardiologist who came to the rescue sits on my row. Nobody knew what he did for a living even if we'd sat nearby since we moved to Langtree Park, but he calmly got to his feet and got involved.

"He accompanied the gentleman to the ambulance, came back 10 minutes later and watched the last 15 minutes of the game like nothing had ever happened.

"Really, truly extraordinary. Everyone at Saints should be proud of themselves."