Amateur cricketer thanks lifesavers for swift actions that restarted his heart

An avid amateur cricketer has thanked the bystanders and emergency services whose actions saved his life after he suffered three cardiac arrests and a heart attack.

Dave Turner, 58, from Westcliff-on-Sea, visited Chelmsford Ambulance with his wife Ali and son Toby to thank the bystanders and emergency responders who came to his aid when he fell gravely ill on Wednesday 17 July.

Remarkably, Dave’s recovery has gone so well that he was able to play cricket just over a month after the cardiac arrests.

Two months on, he met some of the bystanders and emergency responders who were able to fill in the blanks of what happened when his heart stopped beating for 20 minutes.

Dave is sharing his story to highlight the importance of bystander CPR as part of the Restart a Heart Day campaign.

Dave Turner [centre] with Paul Knight and Anna-Marie Brentnall

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.

Restart a Heart Day, held each year on 16 October, aims to increase the number of people surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by helping more people learn CPR.

Dave, a carpenter, had been working at a job on a farm and was driving his van along Lower Burnham Road near Latchingdon when he began to feel unwell just after 4.40pm.

He pulled over down a farm lane and called 999. Dave’s condition deteriorated and he clambered out of his car.

At this point Paul Knight 26, was driving past with his friend Anna-Marie Brentnall, 27.

Paul noticed the van on the farm lane and Dave on all fours. An initial thought was that he was looking for his keys, but Paul and Anna-Marie’s instincts was that something was not right. Paul turned around the car and as they approached Dave it was clear he seriously ill.

Anna-Marie, a student midwife, 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, had stopped on his motorbike to see if he could help.

Anna-Marie called 999 again to see if the ambulance was on the way or whether driving Dave would be quicker and were told to remain where they were.

Paul and Reece assisted Dave onto the passenger seat of the car to wait for the emergency services. Shortly after, Dave suffered his first cardiac arrest.

Paul, Anna-Marie and Reece removed him from the car to the ground and then took it in turns to perform CPR. Anna-Marie contacted the emergency services to update them of Dave’s condition.

10 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.

They were soon joined by an ambulance with emergency medical technicians Aimee Boatwright and Debra Willis and emergency care assistant Megan Downs and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance, which had been dispatched to provide advanced critical care.

After they performed a sixth shock on Dave with the defibrillator, the team achieved the resumption of a sustained heart rhythm that perfuses the body after a cardiac arrest – known in medical terms as a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Once stabilised, Dave was transported by road ambulance to the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital, where he was fitted with a stent to open his blocked artery.

Dave Turner said:

“My family and I are extremely grateful to everyone involved in saving my life.

“It’s impossible to put into words how humbled I am that so many people helped me that day - from Paul, Anna-Marie and Reece to the ambulance service, Essex and Herts Air Ambulance and Basildon Hospital.

“I owe my life to all of them.”

Paul Knight 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’s is an amazing feeling playing a part in saving Dave’s life and we have stayed in touch after.”

Anna-Marie Brentnall 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 skill that everyone should know. You never know when a situation will arise when you need it and you could save a life.”

Savannah Radford, a paramedic at EEAST, 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!”