PARAMEDICS saved the life of a man who nearly bled to death after his arm shattered a window in a fight.

The 28-year-old victim severed a major artery in his wrist and could have died in just eight minutes, ambulance staff said.

The accident happened during a fight involving up to seven people outside the Old Post Office pub in Railway Street, Chatham, at 8.15pm on Friday.

A spokesman for Medway Ambulance Station said: "He had a very lucky escape.

"The cut severed the radial artery, which is the one cut by people trying to commit suicide.

"If he hadn't been treated in time he could have died in as little as eight minutes."

The victim's right arm had accidentally gone through the window during the fracas.

A member of the public at the scene first tried to save the man by stemming the blood flow by bandaging it.

Paramedics arrived and quickly pressurised the wound to stop the bleeding and gave the victim fluids to make up for the blood loss.

They then rushed him to Medway Maritime Hospital where he had surgery.

The ambulance spokesman said: "It's not clear why his arm went through but obviously what really mattered was saving him.

"But thankfully by the time we had taken him to hospital he was already doing well.

"It was found that the wound was too severe to be treated by A&E and he needed to go into theatre."

Another man suffered a broken nose in the disturbance and was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Police say six or seven people had been involved in the fight and one man was arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage.

slennon@thekmgroup.co.uk