Cricketer who suffered cardiac arrest on pitch meets man who saved his life with a defibrillator

• Video report by ITV Wales Journalist Richard Morgan

A Welsh cricketer has met the man who saved his life with a defibrillator after he collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest during a match.

Ghian Fernando was playing cricket for Dinas Powys against Sudbrook in Caldicot. He was batting when he suddenly collapsed on the pitch and stopped breathing.

Former soldier and firefighter, Robb Lewis happened to be in the nearby clubhouse when the incident unfolded.

Robb explained: "I looked out the window and I could see Ghian down on the floor. I could see there was no response, so I just started working on him straight away while a mate of mine, Gary, was unpacking the defib to put that to work."

Using a defibrillator and chest compressions, Robb managed to restart Ghian's heart before the emergency services arrived.

"People have [called me a hero] but I was just down having a beer and come out - it's a bit surreal really. Especially seeing Ghian today, up and about, how quick his recovery is", Robb added.

Reflecting on the experience, Ghian said: "I took single and ran to the other end and then collapsed.

"He saved my life, Robb did. And thankfully the club had a defib. They are the two key things that saved my life."

The defibrillator at Sudbrook cricket club had to be replaced recently after it was vandalised last year.

In 2021, there was a campaign for sports clubs to be equipped with the life saving machines after another cricketer in the Vale of Glamorgan died following a cardiac arrest.

Chairman for the club, Andrew Palmer, thanked the community for helping raise enough money to replace it, which proved crucial in saving Ghian's life.

"Massive thanks here to the community at large.

"We had a defib at the club for a number of years but unfortunately it was vandalised last year and we had to put an appeal out to the wider community to fund replacing it. So there's an enormous thanks there, not just to the cricket club, but to people outside for helping save Ghian's life.

"It's done exactly what it was designed for. I think when you're told you need a defibrillator in this day and age, you kind of think 'Oh, it won't happen to us', and sadly it did. But thankfully, it's done its job and it's worth its weight in gold."

Andrew added that it is not just cricket where defibs are needed, but all sports: "I think a lot of people may think that because cricket is played in the summer, it's affected more, but certainly not. We're fortunate here that we also host rugby and football in the winter seasons, so the facility is there also for all those teams.

"And what's absolutely critical generally is that you have your teams that play the sport, but like here at Sudbrook as well, you've got a team that can respond to the event as it happens. We were fortunate, not just with Robb, but with a number of our members who were on hand immediately to help."