Arsenal fan who survived ‘widow-maker’ heart attack during north London derby thanks medics who saved his life

An Arsenal fan who survived a “widow-maker” heart attack during the north London derby has thanked the medics who saved his life.

Bruce McKenzie, 55, went into cardiac arrest twice after seeing Arsenal go 4-2 up against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates stadium in December.

He was saved after a club steward took him to St John Ambulance first-aiders, who realised something was wrong and referred him to a match doctor.

An ECG test showed Mr McKenzie, a fan of the club for more than 45 years, was having a heart attack. His heart arrested as he was being put into an ambulance, and again travelling to the Royal Free hospital in Hampstead.

He was fitted with stents to reopen the blocked main left-side artery. Last Thursday, on his second match back at the Emirates, he was reunited with the medics before Arsenal’s Europa league game against Rennes.

Mr McKenzie, who works for Thames Water, said the attack came out of the blue as he was in good health.

“A blockage in this artery, I am told, is invariably fatal without very prompt and expert treatment,” he said. “The good news is that the excellent work of the steward, the St John Ambulance first-aiders, the doctors, the London Ambulance Service paramedics and staff at the Royal Free hospital meant that not only was my life saved, but I was discharged just days later with very little damage to my heart.”

LAS team leader John Harrison said: “There’s no doubt that the speed of the response to get lifesaving treatment to Bruce … helped to save his life. We are all immensely proud of what we achieved that day.”

SJA aided 342 patients at the Emirates during the 2017-18 season. Medics also helped a fan who had a cardiac arrest during the Arsenal versus Wolverhampton game. He made a full recovery.