University of Buckingham medical student reunited with football fan he resuscitated during Premier League match

A medical student learning his trade at an Aylesbury Vale university was reunited with the football fan he resuscitated at a Premier League match last year.

University of Buckingham student, Prince Tandukar, then 21, performed life-saving CPR on life-long Chelsea fan Paul Archer.

Both were attending the Chelsea-Manchester City match, when Paul, 66, collapsed from a cardiac arrest. He was clinically dead for 20 minutes, and Prince’s quick-thinking actions have been described by doctors as a miracle.

They were reunited as special guests at Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham. Paul said: “Prince – what an apt name. I am so grateful to be able to thank this impressive and humble individual. You may have broken all my ribs – but I love you for it.”

Recalling the incident, back on 12 November, Prince, 22, a third-year medical student and St John’s Ambulance youth first aider, said: “It was a very eventful game with Chelsea neck-and-neck at half time with a 3-3 score. I was pitch side by the barrier near the press pen when I heard panicked shouting and screaming. It was a mix of fans and security guards shouting for a medic and I realised someone needed urgent help so I ran up around 15 or so rows to where I could see a security guard waving.”

Prince found Paul making short, sharp breaths. He added: “Mr Archer didn’t look well, and was very red. I took his pulse and tried to stay calm, but it was very chaotic around me. I couldn’t find a pulse, so I tried for a pulse in his neck which is usually stronger, but nothing. Then the gasps stopped altogether, and he slumped forward.”

Prince began CPR treatment at a nearby first aid room in Stamford Bridge, his St John volunteer colleague radioed for help in the meantime.

He said: “It was a high stress situation with a lot of fans shouting while trying to assess the situation. I think they wanted to see some Greys Anatomy drama or scenes from a movie, but I tried to stay calm and assess the situation. I remembered my St John training which is important especially in a high stress situation. In a moment of crisis, you don’t try to be a hero and just remember what they told you in training and calmly assess the situation and fall back on your training. St John really do good training.”

The medical student, who hopes to be an orthopaedic surgeon said, “I had never done CPR for real, I was just a 21 year-old medical student, usually with seniors around me and suddenly it was just me and Mr Archer in the medical room. I was full of adrenalin and on my first compression I heard a pop and knew I had cracked Mr Archer’s ribs. This didn’t deter me as I knew this could happen and for CPR to work, it needs to be forceful. It was a sign I was doing it correctly. I was doing CPR solidly for around eight minutes or so I think. I just went into the zone.”