Referee Saves Fan's Life in Italy
Thursday was a special day for Cristiana Laraspata. The young Italian made her debut in Serie D, Italy’s fourth-tier league.
The game between Vastogirardi and Avezzano will not only be remembered by Laraspata for a long time because of its premiere. Because in the overtime of the game, a spectator collapsed and the game director rushed to the man and started directly with the chest compressions.
Laraspata, who is a paramedic by training, provided first aid until paramedics arrived and took over. The 68-year-old man was then transferred to the hospital shortly afterwards, where he died a short time later. Although Laraspata’s use was unsuccessful, she was hailed as a heroine in the Italian media.
“Would Always Act Like This”
The referee described the incident to the Italian newspaper “Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno”: “There were endless moments. For a moment, the man even seemed to recover. I did everything to save him.” Even if her efforts were unsuccessful, Laraspata added that she would do it again at any time.
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