Mystery man I saved turned out to be my pal

But Martin didn't realise he was helping a friend from his football club . . . and the victim didn't realise he owed his life to a pal until he regained consciousness two weeks later.

Martin (45) leapt into action after Laurence fell to the ground outside Martin's home in Warren Road, Wickersley.

Martin plays in goal for Wickersley Cricket Club’s over-35s football team where Laurence is treasurer.

But he didn't recognise Laurence, known as Lol, because his friend's face was badly cut and bruised and he had lost his glasses in the fall and it was only two days later that Martin heard through the grapevine who he had helped.

Meanwhile, Laurence, of  Cherry Tree Crescent, was unconscious in hospital with no memory of the incident at all.

He is now recovering after heart surgery and said thank you to his rescuer when when the two met this week.

“I remember going for a walk at around 6pm,” he said.

“Apparently it was Martin who rushed out and through belting my chest and cracking my ribs, managed to get my heart working.

“Waking up a fortnight later was the strangest experience of my life.

“It was odd because it’s like two weeks of my life have just been lost somewhere,

I’m having to rely on my wife to tell me what happened.

Modest Martin, a driver for the Patient Transport Service, said: “It was good timing more than anything.

“It was a team effort though. I’m no hero on my own, I was doing what anyone would do.”