One moment referee Marc Janssens, 59, feels fit as a fiddle, and the next he's lying flat on the football field. A cardiac arrest. Bystanders see it happen, don't hesitate for a second, and rush to his aid.

“Marc almost stumbled. When we were with him, his eyes were wide open. He gasped for air. I thought it was an epileptic seizure, took off my sweater and put it under his head and put him in a recovery position. But then his color changed. We saw him stiffen completely. He sighed once more and then his breathing stopped.”

In a gripping article on Nieuwsblad, Marc Janssens (59) talks about his cardiac arrest, and you can read how ‘his’ heroes saved his life with an AED. The article paints a moving picture of the resuscitation and shows what the incident means for both the victim and the rescuer(s).

The big lesson: daring and being able to perform CPR with an AED quickly saves lives!

Source: Newspaper

AED-Partner also reported on this successful use of an AED at the end of October 2023. Want to know more? Then read our news item ‘Bystanders resuscitate referee with AED during youth match in Tessenderlo’.