The Lord Mayor of Oxford's Christmas Carol service was halted yesterday after an elderly man suffered a suspected heart attack.
Six doctors and other members of the audience rushed to the man's aid after he collapsed minutes into the service attended by 650 people at Oxford's Town Hall.
They tried to resuscitate him before carrying him out to the foyer. He was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital shortly after 3pm.
Last night the ambulance service refused to say how the man was.
Mother-of-three Kate Horsburgh, 35, from Maidenhead, was with 24 friends, including six GPs, who rushed to help the man.
She said: "One of my friends spotted the gentleman from the balcony and he knew what was happening to him because he is a doctor.
"I looked up from my seat and he was not there. Then I knew he must have gone to help. He just ran straight down to help him and tried to resuscitate him. He was brilliant. He is always on hand to help."
The service, which resumed after a few minutes, raised nearly £2,000 for Oxfam and youth work at Littlemore Community Centre.
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