UConn fan saved by off-duty doctor

GLASTONBURY, Conn. (WTNH) -- A UConn fan almost lost his life, but thanks to another fan, an off-duty doctor, the Glastonbury man survived.

The UConn football players ran out onto the field to take on North Carolina State. It is a game Jim Nolan would not see, because he had collapsed.

"The gates had just opened up, and I felt a little, uh, what I thought was a little indigestion," Nolan said.

It turned into a massive heart attack. As Jim he went down and the call went out 'Is there a doctor in the house?', Dr. Steven Wolf stepped in and with paramedics and East Hartford Fire Fighters, went to work.

"We kind of pounced on him, got IV's going, aspirin, nitroglycerin and did an EKG although it was fairly obvious to us what was going on and the EKG confirmed that," Dr. Wolf said.

The prognosis was not good. The main artery to the front part of his heart was 100% blocked.

"I didn't think he would survive the trip, the ambulance trip. We sent two paramedics with him because he was so pale and ashen. I was very worried about him," Dr. Wolf said.

As the crowd celebrated a UConn touchdown the clock was ticking. Dr. Wolf called a team of heart specialists to meet the ambulance at the hospital. Dr. Ja-Wadd Hater was coaching his daughters soccer game when he got the call.

"Within 5 to 10 minutes of reaching the hospital he was in the cardiac cath lab and within 30 to 35 minutes, after reaching the hospital, I was able to blow up a balloon in the artery," Dr. Hater said.

This type of blockage is called a widowmaker, but from the time of symptoms until the blockage was cleared was less than one hour. The twist to this story is, Jim was supposed to be out on the golf course, out of reach of UConn fan Dr. Wolf.

"That saved my life, there is no question of it. If I had been on the golf course, that would have been it," Nolan said.