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As Spain mourns the death of a footballer who suffered a heart attack after a collision on the pitch, the emergency medical treatment he received is in the spotlight.
Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel died on Tuesday, a day after he was taken to the hospital after being seriously injured by the opponent’s goalkeeper during a match in the second division of Spain.
Spain’s National Police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, the standard procedure for unnatural death. Investigators are expected to assess whether Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Ovono’s call was outside the normal course of play.
But the incident also raised questions about the field treatment the 30-year-old received after collapsing on the field on Monday, including how quickly CPR was administered and whether medics used a defibrillator.
Elvira González, president of the Spanish Association of Nurses, Ambulances and Caregivers, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that her organization is seeking more information.
“We cannot say whether they acted rightly or wrongly, but we can demand that all emergency procedures comply with international standards of good practice,” Gonzalez said.
De Miguel was attended to by the team’s medical staff 20 seconds after he collapsed after being tackled in the air by Owono while contesting a high ball late in the game. Emergency personnel quickly followed and brought the stretcher to the scene in less than a minute.
It is not clear what medical attention was given to De Miguel during the five minutes he was prone on the pitch before he was taken to an ambulance waiting outside the pitch on a stretcher.
Some Spanish media said he received CPR in the ambulance and recovered a pulse, while others said he received CPR in the field. It was not determined whether a defibrillator was used.
The Tenerife football club did not respond to repeated calls and an email request for more information about the emergency treatment De Miguel received.
“There are conflicting reports,” Gonzalez said. “The first thing we need to know is where and when he regained his pulse.”
He said CPR should be performed “from minute 1” and the use of a defibrillator is critical.
“The first minutes are critical. You can move the person only after the pulse is restored,” he said.
On-field treatment has saved the lives of other athletes who have collapsed on the pitch, including Denmark’s Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a 2021 European Championship game. Damar Hamlin of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills was treated with CPR and a defibrillator on the field after suffering heart failure.2023.
The team owner wants an answer
Some local media say the police investigation is also looking into the emergency medical treatment De Miguel received at the Tenerife stadium. The National Police in Madrid and Tenerife would not comment to AP.
Rayco Garcia, Tenerife’s largest shareholder, admitted that there was still a lot to be clarified.
“There are those who say that the impact caused his death and that they were able to stabilize him artificially, although it was very difficult to bring him back later,” Garcia told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Tuesday. “I’d rather wait for the autopsy and then we can step up and talk about what needs to be talked about.”
He said the medical team followed protocol and “got on the field quickly.”
But, Garcia added, “I would like to know through the investigation if there’s anything we don’t know about so this doesn’t happen again. If there’s anything we could have done, it could have prevented this tragedy.”
When asked why an ambulance did not enter the field to help evacuate De Miguel, Garcia said the club’s medical service did not order him to approach.
Spanish football federation regulations state that the home team must have at least one doctor on site and that the home club must have an ambulance equipped with life support, including a defibrillator, on standby.
La Liga did not respond to a request for comment on emergency protocols.
Spanish football is in shock
De Miguel’s death has stunned the football community in Spain and beyond. All European teams paid tribute to De Miguel ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League games.
Fans laid flowers at a temporary shrine in front of the Tenerife stadium.
On Wednesday, Owono released a statement through the club, offering condolences to De Miguel’s family.
“These are the most difficult days of my life,” said the goalkeeper. “I feel so much pain for losing Jesus. I’m thinking of him, his family and everyone who loved him. I know there will be a lot of issues to deal with and I will deal with it with the utmost respect no matter what.”
De Miguel survived Monday’s game with his wife and 1-year-old daughter. His parents quickly flew to Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands archipelago.
The team will travel to the mainland to attend the funeral for De Miguel, which Garcia said will be Thursday in the central state of Toledo.