Dustin Hoffman helps jogger in Hyde Park after heart attack

A jogger who suffered a cardiac arrest was saved after Hollywood veteran Dustin Hoffman went to his aid.

Sam Dempster, 27, collapsed during a run in London's Hyde Park on April 27.

Hoffman, who has a house in the capital, was enjoying a morning walk when he saw Mr Dempster crash to the floor, landing on his face.

When paramedics from London Ambulance Service (LAS) arrived the Rain Man star explained what happened.

The 74-year-old actor waited with the stricken lawyer until he was resuscitated and rushed to hospital.

When it became clear the patient was stabilised Hoffman congratulated the three ambulance crews present saying: "Great job, guys."

Paramedic Martin Macarthur, who saved Mr Dempster with colleague Luke Sullivan, said: "As we got out of the ambulance Dustin Hoffman explained what had happened.

"It is essential to get a history of what has happened and he witnessed the jogger go down, he was the main witness and saw him stagger and go down.

"He said he saw the patient collapse face first on the pavement and that he was frothing at the mouth.

"He stayed on the scene for the whole duration of the resuscitation which was about 15 minutes. He was very concerned.

"We shocked the patient once with the defibrillator and he regained consciousness.

"And at the end Mr Hoffman was kind enough to come up to all the crews and said, 'Great job, guys', which was really nice of him to say.

"We were all aware of his presence throughout but in a job as serious as that we were focused on the patient.

"Control have since been back through the calls and it was someone else who called the ambulance."

In the drama the Tootsie and Kramer Vs Kramer actor lost his music player, glasses, umbrella and diary to the paramedics, who took them thinking they belonged to Mr Dempster.

They have since been returned.

The patient was taken to hospital and underwent life-saving surgery like Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed with the same condition during a televised FA Cup game.

Writing on his recovery blog "Heart-throbbing", Mr Dempster applauded Hoffman and the paramedics.

He said he was "indebted" to Hoffman who was his "new-found favourite celebrity".

PA