Paintball boy has heart attack

Paramedics resuscitated the youth at the scene before he was airlifted to hospital. He is believed to be in a stable condition in hospital today.

The 17-year-old collapsed at Paintball Games in Middletown, near Welshpool, yesterday.

Mike Holloway, from Paintball Games, said: "The young lad was literally just 30 seconds into his first ever game here when he collapsed.

"He didn't seem to be running about or anything, he was literally just starting out in the game.

"We rushed to check on him before calling the emergency services and then they took over caring for him and he was flown to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

"We wish him all the very best with his recovery."

The youth is believed to be from Walsall.

A Wales Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called to a serious incident at the paintball centre in Middletown.

"We helped perform CPR on a young male who was later flown to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital by air ambulance."

A Midlands Air Ambulance spokeswoman said: "We were called to Paintball Games in Middletown shortly after 11.30am.

"We had reports a 17-year-old male had collapsed and was in cardiac arrest.

"Paramedics from Mid Wales were already at the scene, but we airlifted him to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, performing CPR all the way.

"Since landing he was treated at hospital and is now in a stable condition.

"He has no history of heart problems and this seems very much out of the blue."

Paintball Games opened in Middletown 10 years ago and also offers quad biking and other team-building activities.

Mr Holloway said: "To be honest we are all in a bit of shock at the moment at the centre.

"We have never really had anything like this happen at the centre before and it has left us all quite shaken.

"The young lad came up as part of a team-building exercise from Walsall and it happened right at the start of his day."

By Andrew Morris