Burnley FC fan who suffered heart attack following match says taxi driver saved his life

Dad-of-three Colin Walker, who has supported Burnley for 64 years, lived to tell the tale after his life was saved by Peter Hirst, who happened to be driving past as Colin fell to the ground.

The 68-year-old – whose older brother Jack died from a heart attack last month – said he would not be alive today if it wasn’t for Peter.

Colin’s heart stopped twice while Peter – who had never carried out CPR before – worked on him.

And thankfully, Peter was able to revive Colin until paramedics arrived to take him to hospital.

Burnley FC season ticket holder Colin was returning from a match at Turf Moor when his heart gave out suddenly as he walked home from Lancaster train station on September 22nd.

And he says he cannot remember any of the drama, waking up in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary three days later.

Colin already wears a pacemaker following a mini stroke in 2013, which had to be recalibrated in hospital.

He remained in intensive care for a week, followed by three days in coronary care, before being allowed home.

And he was back watching his beloved Burnley, who he has supported since the age of four, two days later.

Colin was on his way home having stayed in a hotel in Burnley after a cup match the previous evening.

“Usually I would get a taxi home but I must have felt fine because I decided to walk,” he said.

“I’d been to Burnley to watch a match the night before, but couldn’t get a train back so I had stayed at a B&B, and got the train back the following morning.

“I must have walked up the slope towards Meeting House Lane and crossed the road and then all I remember is waking up on Saturday lunchtime.

“I can’t remember anything about the match - I had to check I had actually been, and we’d won 4-1!

“When I went back to the next game I asked the man I sit next to if he had noticed anything odd about me the previous game but he hadn’t.”

Colin said he was later told how Peter had saved him.

Although the two men have not met up in person since, they have spoken on the phone.

“He just happened to be driving past and he did CPR until the paramedics came,” he said. “Apparently I wasn’t breathing so he got me going again.

“I am very grateful to him, he literally saved my life and I can’t thank him enough. I know how lucky I am.

“I can laugh about it now. I got a Facebook ‘friend request’ from him and I told him ‘friend’ doesn’t quite cover it.

“If I ever bump into him the drinks are definitely on me.”