Another example of just how lucky Fabrice Muamba was to have a heart specialist and a defibrillator nearby when he suffered his on-pitch cardiac arrest.
The ambulance attending the Peruvian reserve match between Sporting Cristal and Real Garcilaso didn’t have a defibrillator. When 18-year-old Sporting player Yair Clavijo collapsed during the game, medical staff could only call upon basic CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation).
Clavijo was declared dead on the pitch.
According to reports in the Peruvian media, Sporting coach Gustavo Zevallos confirmed there was no defibrillator, despite this being a requirement for all Peruvian league and reserve matches.
Clavijo was a talented midfielder who had been touted to become a Peru international.
