The MCG’s reputation as one of the safest places in Australia to have a heart attack was enhanced further on grand final day, with a Western Bulldogs fan still with us to tell his story.
Deep into the final quarter, with the Bulldogs poised to break their long-standing premiership drought, 64-year-old Rob McCarthy suffered a heart attack in his seat on Level 2 of the Great Southern Stand.McCarthy was saved by off-duty paramedic Liam Moore, who performed CPR, with the assistance of nearby fans and Event Aid personnel on duty.
"I knew that when I got there he still had a pulse, we still had a chance," Moore said.
A defibrillator, which Event Aid teams carry with them at all times for exactly this scenario, was then used to shock McCarthy’s heart into a normal rhythm. He was taken to hospital, where doctors performed life-saving surgery.
“Ironically my dad was saying throughout the day: ‘If the Bulldogs win I’m going to have a heart attack’,” said McCarthy’s daughter, Bec Ross. “I think if he hadn’t have been at the MCG he wouldn’t have survived.
"The doctor said because the MCG is so well equipped with so much medical equipment they were able to get to him and defibrillate him a lot quicker.”
McCarthy thanked his rescuers for their help and is now using his story to push for the need for more defibrillators to be located in public places.