A FOOTBALL fan was rushed to hospital during a Sunderland match last night (April 26) after suffering a ‘medical episode’ in the stands.

The supporter, who is not known at this time, is thought to have collapsed in the North Stand of the Stadium of Light during the Black Cats’ League One fixture with Rotherham.

For five minutes, the fan reportedly received CPR from emergency paramedics that were at the ground, before being taken away in an ambulance to hospital.

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Following the incident, the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) have confirmed that they attended a medical emergency at the match last night, but couldn’t update about the condition of the patient.

A spokesperson for NEAS said: “We attended a medical incident as part of the event cover at last night’s Sunderland AFC game. One person was taken to hospital.”

The game wasn’t stopped while the patient received treatment in what turned out to be a hard fought 1-1 draw for Sunderland, which helped them stay in the playoff places.

The Northern Echo: The game continued despite the medical incident at the Stadium of Light. Picture: NORTHERN ECHO.The game continued despite the medical incident at the Stadium of Light. Picture: NORTHERN ECHO.

After the game, many supporters posted on social media about the isolated incident – with numerous well-wishers praying for speedy recovery for the fan.

Posting on a fan forum, one person commented: “I sit about half a dozen seats away from him in the same row. He's a smashing fella. Goes without saying I hope he makes a full recovery,” while another added: “Was just to the left of us. They were giving him CPR but not for long so assume he regained his heartbeat quickly. His family were with him, so hoping that’s good news and he's okay.”

The Northern Echo: The North East Ambulance Services (NEAS) has confirmed the incident. Picture: NORTHERN ECHO.The North East Ambulance Services (NEAS) has confirmed the incident. Picture: NORTHERN ECHO.

This medical emergency comes months after Sunderland fan Michael Waggott collapsed at the Sunderland against Burton Albion fixture on February 22 and later died.  

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