KEY POINTS:
A teenage rugby league player's heart stopped several times after a double tackle in a national competition at the weekend.
Bystanders and St John Ambulance staff are being credited with saving 17-year-old Chico Paparoa.
Last night, he was in a serious but stable condition in Waikato Hospital's intensive-care unit, with family at his bedside.
The Kaitaia youth collapsed after being tackled from both sides during a match between Northland and Counties-Manukau at the national Maori league tournament in Rotorua on Saturday.
"They revived him three times on the field, once in the ambulance and two or three times in the hospital," Kay Ratana told Rotorua's Daily Post.
Ms Ratana, who was a trip supervisor, said Chico took a knock to the heart in the tackle, which she said was without malice.
Bystanders performed CPR before two St John officers took over.
The first aider and ambulance officer did a "sterling job" of administering further CPR until an ambulance arrived within minutes, said St John Rotorua team manager Gary Timms. "[The ambulance staff] gave him two shocks and took him to hospital."
Without the efforts of the officers and the bystanders, who gave Chico chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth, he might not have survived, Mr Timms said.
"If they hadn't made a start, then of course we're fighting a losing battle, as early CPR is probably one of the prime requirements to keep people alive," he said.
"Bystander CPR, followed by very close ambulance CPR, is probably instrumental in saving the gentleman's life." Mr Timms said it was uncommon for young people's hearts to stop, but the incident showed "Joe Public" could save lives if they learned CPR.
He planned to acknowledge the St John staff. "They'll get a letter saying they've done a sterling job."
Ms Ratana said Chico was transferred to Waikato after tests at Rotorua Hospital to establish whether he had suffered a head or heart injury.
A Waikato District Health Board spokeswoman would not say whether he was conscious and family members declined to comment last night.
