Shinty referee 'lucky to be alive' after cardiac arrest

A shinty referee who suffered a cardiac arrest during a match says the quick reactions of players and the availability of a defibrillator saved his life.

Stevie Maclachlan, 56, felt unwell 12 minutes into Saturday's MacTavish Cup tie between Caberfeidh and Kinlochshiel in Strathpeffer.

He said: "I had a severe pain in my chest - it was getting tighter and tighter. I was down on one knee, I managed to blow my whistle and then everything went black."

Kinlochshiel captain Conor Cormack and team-mate Keith Macrae, who are both firefighters, used a defibrillator from Caberfeidh's clubhouse and CPR to resuscitate Mr Maclachlan.

Mr Maclachlan is now recovering at home in Muir of Ord following hospital treatment.

He told BBC Scotland News: "I am lucky to be here.

"I wouldn't be here if Conor and Keith hadn't been there. The outcome might not have been as well."

Mr Maclachlan said he hoped shinty clubs that do not already have a defibrillator would now have one installed.

The device gives a high-energy shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest to help get their heart started again.

Mr Maclachlan said he became unwell without warning on Saturday and took a moment to understand what had happened to him when he regained consciousness.

He said: "Conor was a foot away and I asked him what he was doing and he said 'I'm glad you're back' and I asked 'from where?'

"I said to him 'if you get out of the road I'll get up' but he said I couldn't get up and then it sort of sank in."

Despite the disconcerting experience on the pitch, Mr Maclachlan said treatment in hospital had improved his medical wellbeing.

"I feel better than I have done for months," he added.