'Seven people gave me CPR and saved my life'

Peter Prendiville had a cardiac arrest while playing hockey in November last year

"Everybody should learn how to do CPR, even if they're afraid or think they'll never use it or are not capable of using it - you never know."

Peter Prendiville suffered a cardiac arrest just 20 minutes into a hockey game at Droitwich Leisure Centre in Worcestershire on 30 November.

Seven people helped give him cardiopulmonary resuscitation, known as CPR, which ultimately saved his life.

"The police told me all of the stars had aligned on that day… I was in the right place at the right time with everybody around that helped me," he told the BBC.

"I don't smoke, I don't drink a lot, I've got a healthy diet, so it did really come out of the blue," he said.

When he woke up in the hospital, he said he was not aware of what had happened.

"My initial reaction was that it was painful - a good job on a CPR means you're going to be hurting. They did a great job; I was in a lot of pain on my chest."

It was only when police turned up at his door that he learnt how many people had stepped in to help.

"The initial response was that the hockey players started the CPR instantly. There was a football game that stopped, the paramedics came down as well, and eventually the police turned up."

"Complete random strangers who were watching football had come down; it was a fantastic group effort."

Kenny Johnston (left) was one of the people who helped Peter Prendiville

That day, Kenny Johnston had played in a match and ran down to the pitch to help.

An emergency nurse by background, he knew how to do CPR already.

"It flipped into work mode, and giving people the encouragement they needed, and making sure that the person in the centre of all this was Peter," he said.

"Everyone kind of listened, there were no egos, and the skills were performed really effectively."

He said learning Peter had survived was a rewarding and relieved feeling.

"In my experience working in the emergency department, there are people with life-changing injuries because of a delay in CPR."

"The skill is really simple; you can learn it within 15 minutes, and it's so important."

'You could save a life'

Mr Prendiville has fully recovered but no longer plays hockey, instead coaching the women's and men's third teams.

He said his cardiac arrest had prompted members of the hockey club that were the same age as him to get health checks.

He added that he would urge anyone to learn CPR.

"It could be family, it could be a friend or a random stranger, and you could save a life."