Kidderminster man died the day before mother's funeral during club run
A father of two from Kidderminster collapsed and died during a run across fields the day before his mother's funeral.
Chris Hirst, who was a member of the Wyre Forest Hash House Harriers running club, had gone for a run to clear his head. But while out running with friends near Dunclent Farm at Stone, the 52-year-old's legs gave way and he fell to the ground.
Other runners had battled to save him before paramedics arrived, but there was nothing they could do to help Mr Hirst, of Shrubbery Street.
His friend Graeme Anderson, aged 39, from Birmingham Road, Kidderminster, today spoke of how fellow runners had gone to his aid after he collapsed last Thursday. They carried him on a stretcher for 400 yards after the ambulance got stuck in mud.
"It was as though his legs went from under him. A trainee paramedic gave CPR while I did mouth-to-mouth under the direction of a nurse from Kidderminster Hospital."
Traumatised
Mr Anderson added: "We were all in shock. Those who were on the field are struggling to come to terms with the loss of such a good fri-end. We are all traumatised and met up with other members, about 30 of us, at Chris' favourite pub, The Lock Inn, Wolverley, on Saturday. Chris was a fantastic bloke. He is going to be very sadly missed."
His partner Denise Woodward, 54, who works at King Edwards College, Stourbridge as an administrator, today said: "He had said he didn't really feel like going running but wanted to destress, thinking he was going to his mother's funeral the next day. "
A funeral service is due at 1pm on October 26 at Wyre Forest Crematorium with fa- mily flowers only and donations to Kemp Hospice.
Leave your tributes to Chris Hirst by posting a comment below.
