Turkey: Footballer saves seagulls life with CPR on field in wild footage
A football match has taken an extraordinary turn when a player performed CPR on a seagull struck by the ball mid-game.
A football match in Turkey took an extraordinary turn when a player stopped play to perform CPR on a seagull struck by the ball mid-game.
The incident happened during a playoff clash between Istanbul Yurdum Spor and Mevlanakapi Guzelhisar on Tuesday, when a low-flying seagull was hit by a clearance from Yurdum Spor’s goalkeeper.
The bird dropped from the sky and landed on the pitch, prompting Yurdum Spor captain Gani Catan to sprint over and begin administering rudimentary CPR.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Video filmed by the team’s manager, Faith Buyuk, shows Catan pressing on the bird’s ribcage and lifting its beak to help it breathe.
Catan told news agency Anadolu: “Something was falling and I realised it was a seagull.
“The first thing that came to my mind was heart massage, because it couldn’t breathe, so I tried my luck.”
The CPR worked, and the bird began showing signs of life before being carried from the field to medical staff for treatment.
The seagull is reported to have suffered a damaged wing, though its condition after the match was not immediately known.
Despite the dramatic rescue, Yurdum Spor went on to lose the match and were knocked out of the playoffs.
Catan said: “We missed out on the championship, but it’s a wonderful thing to have helped save a life. This was more important than the championship.”
