Family try to find Lions fans who aided heart attack victim

The family of a 45-year-old Dunedin man who died while queuing for the Lions test in Christchurch want to thank three Lions supporters who fought to save his life.

Anthony Bernard Duncan suffered a massive heart attack and died despite attempts by the three unknown Britons and an ambulance crew to revive him.

Mr Duncan's father-in-law, Peter Ashcroft, was with the rugby-loving Dunedin dad outside Jade Stadium on Saturday night when he collapsed.

Mr Ashcroft said within a minute of his son-in-law taking ill, three people dressed in Lions garb said they were medical staff and hurried to his aid.

He said the trio, two female nurses and a male doctor, performed CPR on Mr Duncan for about 20 minutes before an ambulance, caught up in heavy pre-match traffic, arrived.

Mr Ashcroft said that when the ambulance arrived, the three Britons left before he could say "thank you".

"They couldn't look me in the eye because I think they knew Tony wouldn't make it. But I wish I could have said thank you for all they did," Mr Ashcroft said. "We [the family] know they did everything possible to try to save him." Mr Ashcroft remembered what happened in the line.

"We thought we'd go to the rugby together because we both like rugby and we're good mates," Mr Ashcroft said.

"We were standing there and suddenly it happened - it all went horrible when Tony collapsed."

Mr Duncan's death came as a "complete shock", his father-in-law said.

Mr Ashcroft said his son-in-law was a passionate rugby supporter, who had dedicated at least seven years to coaching schoolboy rugby.

Mr Duncan had coached the Taieri Blues rugby team in the years his son, Mitchell, 12, played for them.

For the past two years, Mr Duncan had coached representative schoolboy rugby for the Otago Rugby Football Union.

Mr Ashcroft said that this year the provincial rugby union had promoted Mr Duncan to selector and manager of schoolboy rugby, as well as retaining him as a coach.

Rugby had been a family affair for the Duncans.

Mr Duncan's daughter, Morgan, 14, had been the "water-girl" for teams her father coached.

Mr Duncan took his two children to watch Otago play the Lions last weekend at Carisbrook Stadium.

"He [Tony] was a great dad. He would do anything for his kids. His hobbies were doing things with them."

- NZPA