Pogues fan searches for Libertines fan who saved his life after mid-gig heart attack
Andrew Plank collapsed at Hyde Park on Saturday and is recovering in hospital
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Your support makes all the difference.A Pogues fan who suffered a heart attack at British Summer Time last Saturday is searching for the stranger who saved his life.
Andrew Plank, 46, was watching the Irish rockers’ support set for The Libertines in Hyde Park when he collapsed. The band halted their set to make sure paramedics could reach him after a crowd member performed CPR and alerted them.
Mr Plank was revived with a defibrillator and is recovering in London’s Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital.
His family are keen to thank the mystery lifesaver, who could have died were it not for the rapid help he received.
“From what we’ve been told by the hospital, there was a stranger in the crowd who performed CPR for 10 minutes and it’s down to the fact that he performed CPR that we’ve still got my wife’s uncle,” Mr Plank’s nephew-in-law Lloyd Smith told The Irish Post.
“His heart stopped for those 10 minutes but thanks to this bloke the paramedics were able to revive him.”
Smith also paid tribute to “people out there who care about their fellow human beings”.
The Pogues tweeted a message of goodwill to Mr Plank, who did not remember the incident but was angry to have lost his favourite fan T-shirt.
“When he woke up, he asked where his T-shirt was and the paramedics had cut it off,” said Smith. “It’s his favourite T-shirt and he was more angry (sic) about losing his favourite Pogues T-shirt than anything!”
Once The Libertines took to the stage, a crowd crush and people climbing the control tower brought their set to a standstill twice. Up to 30 people were left with minor injuries and ten were taken to hospital.
Photographer Leon Neal tweeted: “Chaos at the Libertines gig in Hyde Park. Many crushed with medics dragging people from the crowd.”
The man who helped Mr Plank is being urged to contact steve.cummins@irishpost.co.uk so that his family can express their gratitude
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