A group of musicians at Edinburgh's Foodies Festival have thanked the event organisers and emergency responders after their bandmate collapsed on stage.
The Tufty Club, a Glasgow based four man band, were performing on the main stage at the culinary gathering on August 6 - when guitarist Dougie McLellan fell to the floor half way through the band’s set, suffering what is thought to be cardiac arrest.
With a quick response from event organisers, and emergency services speeding to the scene, Dougie made it through.
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His bandmates have thanked those who assisted in keeping Dougie conscious while ambulances raced to Inverleith Park, as well as members of the crowd who ‘kept his dignity’. Edinburgh Live spoke to bandmate Alan Hamilton, who was still stunned from the incident.
He told us: “It was a complete shock, he was a healthy 57-year-old man with no health issues. For my bandmates as well, Alistair McCall and Ian McGinley, it was such a big shock to all of us.
“We had a 12.45pm slot at the Foodies Festival. We were half way through our set, fourth number, about to get to the chorus.
“I looked up from my drum set and Dougie was down. It was just horrible from then on.
“I stayed with him, shouting his name just in shock. The response from the event team was immediate though.
“When they took him away, at that point we really didn’t know if he was going to make it.”
Emma Rule, Media Marketing Manager at the Foodies Festival, was on hand when Dougie collapsed. She told us: “The stage crew and on-site medics reacted very quickly to a difficult and shocking situation.
"Thanks to the efforts of all involved and the paramedics that attended, we’re extremely relieved and happy to hear that Dougie is doing well in hospital. We’d also like to thank members of the audience that came forward to help. We’d love to see the band together on stage again and have invited them to perform when we visit Edinburgh next year.”
Alan, who has been visiting Dougie in the hospital since Saturday, said his condition is improving. He said: “We all went to see him on Saturday, he was responsive and awake but very tired.
“The day after, I took a trip through and I was amazed at the recovery. There’s ongoing tests but he looks as if he’ll be back on his feet before long.
“I want to highlight the importance of a defibrillator, it saved his life. The ambulance was quick to come, but we couldn’t have saved him without it.”
Aside from the defibrillator, the band also wanted to give thanks the Foodies Festival - as well as those who had gathered. Alan told us: “The response was fantastic, everyone who was either resuscitating Dougie or helping to keep his dignity. People from the crowd were helping in any way they could.
“I’m still in shock - I’m waking up in the morning and reliving it, but from us as a band we want to thank everyone who helped keep Dougie with us.”
Dougie is still recovering in hospital, in a stable and improving condition.
The Foodies Festival, which is travelling around the UK this summer, is heading to Glasgow this coming weekend - before moving south to Oxford at the end of the month.
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