A carpenter whose heart stopped for 20 MINUTES in a roadside cardiac arrest has been reunited with the three people who saved his life
Dave Turner was driving his van after working at a job on a farm when he began to feel unwell.
The amateur cricketer, 58, pulled over down a lane and called 999 but as his condition worsened, he got out of his car.
READ MORE: Mindless BMW passenger slammed for lobbing rubbish out window
Paul Knight, 26, and friend Anna-Marie Brentnall, 27, happened to be driving by when they spotted Dave on all fours, struggling at the side of the road.
They originally thought he was looking for his keys, but Paul and Anna-Marie’s instinct was that something was not right.
Paul turned around the car and as they approached Dave it became clear he was seriously ill.
Student midwife Anna-Marie took his pulse as Dave stated he was feeling pain in his chest and was struggling to breathe.
Soon after, Reece Comer, 34, an emergency care attendant with a private ambulance firm, stopped on his motorbike to see if he could help too.
Paul, Anna-Marie and Reece took it in turns to perform CPR as Dave’s heart stopped multiple times.
He suffered three cardiac arrests and a heart attack.
Anna-Marie contacted the emergency services to update them on Dave’s condition.
Ten minutes after Anna-Marie had updated 999, paramedic Savannah Radford, emergency medical technician Anna Fitzgeorge and emergency care assistant Millie Hemley-Tucker arrived in a response vehicle.
They took over the CPR from the trio of lifesavers and administered shocks with a defibrillator to attempt to restore a sustained heart rhythm.
Once stabilised, Dave was taken to Essex Cardiothoracic Centre at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital where he was fitted with a stent to open his blocked artery.
Dave has now made a remarkable recovery and was even able to play cricket just over a month after the ordeal on July 17.
He has even been able to meet some of the passersby and emergency responders who helped when his heart stopped beating for 20 minutes.
“It’s impossible to put into words how humbled I am that so many people helped me that day,” Dave, from Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, told Need To Know.
“I owe my life to all of them.
“My family and I are extremely grateful.”
Fewer than one in 10 people survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest and clinicians have said that Dave’s life was saved by the good-quality CPR he received from bystanders.
Paul said: “To have played a part in saving Dave’s life feels quite surreal.
“The fact that Reece and Anna-Marie had performed CPR before really helped and I had basic life support training so also knew what I was doing.
“It is an amazing feeling playing a part in saving Dave’s life and we have stayed in touch after.”
Anna-Marie said: “I remember Dave telling me about his family and how much they meant to him before his first cardiac arrest and we started CPR.
“I’m so grateful we were there to help and it’s an amazing feeling to play a part in saving Dave’s life so he is here for his family.
“This shows how important it is to learn CPR and I believe it is a skill that everyone should know.
“You never know when a situation will arise when you need it and you could save a life.”
Paramedic Savannah Radford said: “It was great to meet Dave again and see he has done so well.
“Every second counts with a cardiac arrest and the actions of Anna-Marie, Paul and Reece undoubtedly saved Dave’s life – I remember telling them that on the day when it looked likely we would get a good outcome.”
READ MORE: Bold-as-brass thief pinches bike before riding off as man gives chase on foot to catch him
