Teens' hearts tested after death of rugby player

Hundreds of young people have had their hearts screened and tested for abnormalities in memory of a 31-year-old man who died suddenly.

Max Oliver, from Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire, died in September 2024 while on his way to work. He had suffered a cardiac arrest and paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

He had been a member of the town's rugby club and, over the weekend, it hosted free heart screening sessions for people between 14 and 35.

Teammate Conrad Davy, 32, said Max had been a "big character" and the "life and soul" of the club.

"Everyone knew him, everyone knew what a nice guy he was, and obviously it was a real shock what happened, which makes days like this really important," said Davy, during the screening.

He said Max's death had been a "real shock".

"It was really difficult to process at the time and it still is now," he added.

"If these kinds of events can catch just one, potentially fatal condition, then it's very much worth it."

Davy said Max had been captain of one of the squads at the club for many years and, even after moving away from the town, had remained very much part of the club.

The screening was carried out by the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

The aim was to identify anyone at risk from sudden cardiac death - an umbrella term for the many different causes of sudden cardiac death among young people.

According to CRY, one in 300 people given a screening have a potentially life-threatening heart condition that would benefit from lifestyle advice, treatment and sometimes even surgery.

It said 12 apparently fit and healthy young people died in the UK every week from an undiagnosed cardiac condition.

During screenings, individuals are given an electrocardiogram (ECG), which examines the electrical activity of the heart.

They can also have an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to produce moving images of the heart.

Davy's test had found no abnormalities.

He said he had been "really shocked" by the statistic about the number of people who died from undiagnosed heart conditions.

"It was a bit of an eye-opener as to how important these things are," he said

Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.