Exclusive video: Tragedy averted in Jarryd Hayne’s jail footy match

Convicted rapist and former NRL superstar Jarryd Hayne found himself in the middle of a medical emergency during a jail touch footy match. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.

Convicted rapist and former NRL star Jarryd Hayne found himself in the middle of a medical emergency during a jail touch footy match.

Hayne was among a group of 20 prisoners at Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre playing touch football one afternoon recently when a prisoner suddenly collapsed.

The disgraced footy star and other prisoners helped the man into the recovery position while prison staff rushed to the oval to assist.

Hayne then held up a towel to protect the man from the sun while officers worked to revive him.

Acting Governor Renee Craft said officers “responded rapidly and appropriately in a distressing situation”.

Jarryd Hayne was part of a prison footy game when one of the players collapsed.

The inmates huddled around the man while waiting for help.

Paramedics took the man to hospital.

“The inmate appeared to be going in and out of consciousness, they attempted to cool his body temperature and began performing CPR when he stopped breathing,” Ms Craft said. “They put their first aid training to immediate use to help save this man’s life — their quick, calm thinking ensured this incident didn’t end in tragedy.”

Governor Renee Craft and prison guard Peter Terry at Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Facility. Picture: Richard Dobson

The team of nurses took over a short time later, applying a defibrillator to the man’s chest and continuing CPR until paramedics arrived 25 minutes later.

Officer Terry, who performed CPR, told The Sunday Telegraph the ordeal was a real shock for both the inmates and the staff “but that’s what we are trained to do. It was a real team effort”.

The ailing prisoner was in the recovery position in the middle of the oval, prisoners crowded around assisting him, when Officer Terry received the emergency medical response call around 2.35pm on May 24.

“The inmates had said he just passed out. He tried to get up at one stage but then collapsed again,” he said.

“He was breathing at that stage, one of the officers was checking his pulse and talking to him, and then all of a sudden he checked out again and there was no pulse so we rolled him over and I started CPR.”

Jarryd Hayne’s glittering football career ended in disgrace when he was accused then convicted of rape. Picture: AAP Image

Justice Health staff rushed to the scene with a defibrillator after it had become clear the prisoner had a heart attack.

“He had a few injections and came back about the third shock, the first two there was no response,” Officer Terry said.

Paramedics rushed the man to Nepean Hospital, where he was placed into an induced coma. Two weeks later he returned to the Western Sydney jail and, to the surprise of Officer Terry, he came and found him to say “thank you”.

“He is fine, I caught up with him a couple weeks ago when he returned from hospital, he’s in a wheelchair at the moment,” he said.

“He had a few displaced ribs but that’s minor compared to what he was going through and what could have happened. He was in good spirits.

“It was a surreal unusual feeling going through that, but more surreal he came and thanked me.”

It’s unclear whether Hayne’s cellmate, Manly player Manase Fainu, was also playing footy when the drama happened.

But jail sources say the touch footy matches are popular for inmates wanting to stay active.

Sprints, weights and soccer are also on the agenda most days.

“They play footy a lot down the back sector on the oval, it’s a pretty open plan compared to other jails,” one source said.

“The guy is lucky it happened where there were other people who saw it and could help.”

Commissioner Kevin Corcoran applauded the officers for their lifesaving response.

“I’m immensely proud of the team’s ability to act in a time sensitive, high-pressure environment; their skills mean this man is still with us today,” Mr Corcoran said.