Mr Callaghan, who has been body surfing since 1962, was holidaying in St Ives with wife Gill, 74, Julian, daughter Sue Tallis, 47 and her children Lucy, 15, and Harry, who live in Frolisworth, near Lutterworth.
John Callaghan the Survivor
He returned to the apartment feeling cold and tired after a surfing session on July 16.
John suddenly collapsed on the bathroom floor.
His son Julian, who used to be a lifeguard at Stamford Leisure Pool, gave his father emergency resuscitation while his grandson Harry Tallis, 12, ran to the beach to ask for help.
Lifeguards Robert Sprent-Howell, James Symons, Emily Harris and Ben Tregonning collected an emergency first aid kit, including a defibrillator, and ran to the apartment where they found Mr Callaghan unconscious.
Mr Callaghan’s heart was shocked three times by the defibrillator to get it started.
Another lifeguard Sarah Rowe and the St Ives Coastguard team cleared an area on the beach for the Royal Navy helicopter to land to take Mr Callaghan, who was breathing but had a weak pulse, to hospital.
After five days in intensive care in Truro, Mr Callaghan was transferred to Glenfield Heart Hospital, in Leicester and underwent surgery to fit an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
Mr Callaghan is now fully recovered but says he has quit body surfing.
Mr Symons said: “We were delighted and very relieved when John’s wife came down to the beach the next day to tell us that he was making a recovery.”
