YOUNG physio Lee Rhodes was hailed a hero after saving the life of Stourport Swifts defender Andy Jones.
Jones required emergency treatment after swallowing his tongue during Tuesday night's Southern League Cup clash at Bromsgrove Rovers.
He fell unconscious after clashing heads with Rovers midfielder Mark Benbow 15 minutes into the second-half.
Rhodes quickly administered first-aid on the Victoria Ground pitch before paramedics took Jones to Alexandra Hospital in Redditch. He will be out of action for a month.
The nasty incident delayed the tie for over 30 minutes before Bromsgrove closed out a 2-1 win.
Swifts chairman Chris Reynolds said: "It was a very bad injury and if Lee Rhodes had not been there, we would have had a fatality.
"He was fantastic. He knew exactly what to do before the ambulance arrived. Lee has been with us since the start of the season and he's only a young lad. We can't thank him enough. Fortunately, there was also a doctor in the crowd.
"Andy was in a very bad state and it upset a lot of the players at the time. A few of them did not want to carry on afterwards, but we needed to finish the game.
"I've spoken to someone at the hospital and Andy will be fine in making a full recovery. But he will not be playing for a month."
Swifts are without a game tomorrow as their scheduled opponents in Southern League Division One West, Taunton Town, face Merthyr Tydfil in the FA Cup.
They return to action on Tuesday when they host Sutton Coldfield Town.
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