One of the young men injured during Sunday?s horrific outbreak of violence at Wellington Oval suffered a stab wound only inches from his heart.

Wolda Gardner, who was also stabbed in his right arm, was trying to protect a friend from another attacker who was wielding a heavy board.

Mr. Gardner, 22, was discharged from King Edward VIIMemorial Hospital yesterday. His father said he was lucky to be alive.

Mr. Gardner?s father Butch Smith, who runs Art Mel?s Spicy Dicy on St. Monica?s Road, spoke to yesterday about his son?s ordeal.

Mr. Smith said his son jumped down to help a friend who was being attacked by a youth and ended up sustaining critical stab wounds in his chest and arm.

Mr. Smith was not at the game but he talked to his son about what happened on Sunday.

?My son was in front of a guy from St. George?s who had a piece of board, he got down to help the guy who had fallen to the ground and guys were beating on his mate and he wanted to help him,? he said.

Mr. Smith had arrived home from church on Sunday evening to learn from a next-door neighbour that his son had been rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

?The first thing I did was go to the hospital. People were saying my son was dead, so I dashed to the hospital to find out what was going on.

?Eventually I was let into the emergency room to see my son.

?There was a whole lot of blood everywhere inside.?

A nursing supervisor at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital said two young men injured in the melee who have yet to be named were in stable condition yesterday.