According to Turkish media reports, a heartwarming scene unfolded during an amateur football match in Istanbul on February 23. During the match, the goalkeeper from one team took a free kick, sending the ball high into the air. The ball accidentally struck a low-flying seagull, causing it to faint and collapse on the field, losing consciousness. Upon seeing this, some players immediately paused the game, checked on the seagull, and promptly performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Ultimately, the seagull regained consciousness, and a small life was successfully saved.
The incident occurred during the playoff final of the Istanbul First Amateur League, a match determining playoff qualification. The match took place in Zeytinburnu, with Mevlanakapi Guzelhisar (MG) facing Istanbul Yurdum Spor (IYS).
In the 22nd minute of the first half, IYS goalkeeper Muhammet Uyanik was taking a free kick in the penalty area when the ball accidentally struck a seagull flying over the field. The seagull immediately crashed to the ground, unresponsive, shocking both players and spectators. Uyanik later stated: “At the time, I wasn’t aware I had hit anything—only when the seagull landed did I realize it. I was deeply shocked and felt very guilty.”
Upon witnessing this, team captain Gani Catan quickly knelt down to check on the seagull, discovering it had stopped breathing. Acting on instinct, he began chest compressions, performing CPR for about two minutes. Eventually, the seagull regained consciousness; a player even gave it some water, then carried it to the sidelines and handed it over to the on-site medical staff. Live commentator Onur Ozsoy exclaimed: “This is an extremely rare moment on a football pitch!”
The two teams then continued the match. Although the IYS team eventually lost in penalty shootouts and missed promotion, Catan stated after the game that he had never received any first aid training, but believed that saving a life was far more important than the outcome. He said, “We may have lost the championship, but being able to help save a life is much more important.”
After the incident, many netizens praised the players' heartwarming actions on social media, calling them “true heroes” and saying “Turkish people have hearts of gold.”