Police Probe Medical Response After Tenerife Forward Jesus de Miguel Dies
Investigators are examining the timing of CPR and defibrillator use for the 30-year-old, who collapsed during a second division match.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
The death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel has triggered a formal review of the emergency medical care he received on the pitch. De Miguel, 30, died on Tuesday after suffering a cardiac arrest during a second division match on Monday. The incident follows a mid-air collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono late in the game.
Spain's National Police opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, a standard procedure for non-natural deaths. Investigators will determine if Owono's challenge exceeded the normal course of play. Local media reports indicate the probe also includes the medical response at the stadium. The National Police in Madrid and Tenerife declined to comment, and the Tenerife club did not answer calls or emails seeking details.
Medical staff reached De Miguel 20 seconds after he collapsed. Emergency workers brought a stretcher to the scene in under a minute. He remained on the pitch for approximately five minutes before moving to an ambulance. Contradictory reports have emerged regarding the location of his resuscitation. Some Spanish outlets stated he received CPR in the ambulance and recovered a pulse, while others reported CPR was performed on the field.
Elvira Gonzalez, president of Spain's Association of Nurses, Emergency Medics and Caregivers, said her group is seeking clarity on these discrepancies. "There is contradictory information," Gonzalez told The Associated Press. "The first thing we need to know is where and when he supposedly recovered a pulse." She noted that international standards require CPR to begin immediately and emphasized that a patient should only be moved once a pulse is restored.
The use of a defibrillator remains unconfirmed. Swift on-field treatment has proven life-saving in previous high-profile cases, including the 2021 cardiac arrest of Christian Eriksen and the 2023 incident involving Damar Hamlin. Both athletes survived after receiving immediate on-field intervention.
Tenerife’s largest shareholder, Rayco Garcia, told Cadena Ser radio that the medical team followed protocol and acted quickly. He stated that the club's medical service did not order the ambulance to enter the field. Garcia said he prefers to wait for the autopsy results to understand if any procedural gaps exist.
Spanish soccer federation regulations mandate that home teams have at least one doctor on site and an ambulance equipped with life support and a defibrillator ready. La Liga has not responded to requests for comment. Owono issued a statement through his club offering condolences, describing the days following the collision as the most difficult of his life. De Miguel is survived by his wife and one-year-old daughter, who were present at the match. A funeral is tentatively scheduled for Thursday in the central province of Toledo.
