A LIFE saver from Devon is calling on football fans to learn first aid and support St John Ambulance’s new Celebrate Like a Hero campaign.

Chris Richards from Cullompton rushed to the aid of his friend, Paul Tapp and resuscitated him, when he went into cardiac arrest just minutes into the second half of a charity football match, two years ago.

Using his first aid knowledge and the defibrillator from his car, which he keeps as part of his job, Chris saved Paul’s life.

‘I felt fine before the match, no different to any other morning,’ said Paul. ‘I’d never had any heart problems; I try to eat healthily, have never smoked and only drink socially at weekends.

‘It was quite an emotional day. I was extremely lucky; there are no two ways about it.’ Cullompton Rangers have since bought their own defibrillator for use at matches thanks to an anonymous donation.

‘I was just doing what I have been trained to do; it just so happened that I was in the right place at the right time and had the right equipment to help save Paul’s life,’ said Chris, who won an award from St John Ambulance for saving Paul’s life.

‘If more people had these vital skills then we can give people like Paul a better chance of surviving.’ St John Ambulance’s Celebrate Like a Hero (www.sja.org.uk/football) campaign advert features an everyday emergency and someone giving life saving first aid, as Premier League commentator Martin Tyler describes the action.

The tongue-in-cheek film asks an important question: in a life or death situation, would you be a hero, or a spectator?

St John Ambulance’s South West regional director Steve Hargreaves said: ‘Our volunteers have been keeping fans safe at football matches for over a century.

‘But this September, we want to make sure fans can be the difference between life and death themselves, inside or outside the turnstiles.

‘Emergencies can happen anywhere - on the pitch, at home or out and about.

As Celebrate Like a Hero shows, downloading our free first aid app to your smartphone means you will always have the skills to be a first aid hero, wherever you are.’ The campaign has the support of The Premier League, Football League and the Football Supporter’s Federation.

For more information about Celebrate Like a Hero and to watch the campaign film visit www.sja.org.uk/football