West Parley cruise ship entertainer saves man’s life

By Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk

A local cruise ship entertainer who saved the life of a man 15 minutes before going on stage is urging people to learn how to do CPR.

Pete Matthews, who lives in West Parley, was on the Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas when the incident happened on 12 December.

Pete, a juggler, who has since received accolades from so many people said modestly: “I don’t want this to be all about me. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

He explained the course of events which took place between his two shows.

“My wife Claire was on board as I was both working and celebrating my 50th birthday, and she had just watched the 7pm show but said she wouldn’t go to the 9pm one. So I left my cabin to get her a drink and was 20 yards from the room when I saw a man slumped against the wall, His face was purple and grey and his family were shouting ‘Dad, Dad, don’t die.”

Hearing the commotion, Claire rang 911.

Pete, who had learned CPR some 20 years ago went into action.

“I was a little nervous as I know that in America you can be sued if something goes wrong, but I went ahead just the same.

“I pulled him off the wall, got him to lie on his back and did chest compressions. After 20 he let out a groan and so then I did mouth to mouth.”

He was continuing with compressions when a firefighter called Justin arrived on the scene.

“He told me I was doing a good job and so I continued until eight medics arrived.”

Needless to say Pete was relieved when a doctor said ‘we’ve got it from here’.

Not surprisingly, he was shaking, but after tidying himself up he went on stage at 9pm to do the second show.

“Actually I am always nervous before a show,” said Pete, who performed on his first cruise ship on 15 January 1995.

“I didn’t know at that time if he was going to live or die, but I just went into show mode and at the end I got a standing ovation.”

The 58-year-old man, whose name was Joe Kutza, was taken to the ship’s hospital and subsequently an officer said to Pete: “Congratulations, you have saved a man’s life.”

Pete admitted that he burst into tears, and he has done so a couple of times since then.

Later he and Justin went to see Joe in the ship’s hospital.

“He was wearing an oxygen mask and said to me: ‘Man I love you. You are my guardian angel’.”

Subsequently the chief medical officer said: “If Pete Matthews hadn’t done what he did, Joe would not be here today.”

The ship had been off the coast of the Bahamas and Joe was subsequently taken off the ship at Freeport.

Joe, who lives in Pennsylvania, had a stent and a pacemaker fitted.

Subsequently, Pete has spoken to a firefighter who told him that he had performed CPR on nine occasions, and the patients didn’t make it as too much time had elapsed.

Pete was at home for Christmas and the New Year, and was due to join the Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s biggest ship on its maiden voyage in the middle of January.

It will be reassuring for the passengers to know that this man of many talents is on board!