Security Supervisor & Nurse Save Retired Civil Servant during a Run

Posted by cocreator on August 18, 2012
Events

Dr Alan Heyes, a 63-year-old semi-retired civil servant of Tonbridge Road, suffered a cardiac arrest when he was running in his own street on May 17.


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He collapsed just outside the main gate to investment company Fidelity’s offices, where a cleaner saw him fall and alerted staff.

Security supervisor Jason Hurd rushed to Dr Heyes, armed with first aid kit and defibrillator.

Dr Alan Heyes the Survivor

But when he got there, a nurse from Tunbridge Wells Hospital who happened to be driving past, had already started giving CPR.

“She explained that the casualty was unconscious and not breathing,” Mr Hurd said.

He continued the compressions while she gave rescue breaths. But Dr Heyes was still not responding. The defibrillator was connected up and he was given an electric shock.

Both Mr Hurd and the nurse put the patient into the recovery position until paramedics and Kent Air Ambulance arrived to take him to Medway Maritime Hospital.

This week, a recovering Dr Heyes said: “All I remember is I went out for a seven-mile run up to Mill Lane past Ightham Mote, made it back, going past the bus stop, then I woke up in Medway hospital.

“I was out in the open, I could have collapsed anywhere but I happened to collapse where they had a defibrillator. I was very fortunate.

“Unfortunately if someone does have a heart attack, not all offices have defibrillators. This happens more than you think.

“If it wasn’t there, it’s most likely I wouldn’t have survived.”

Dr Heyes, who had to undergo heart bypass surgery, has since reunited with the staff who saved his life to say thank you.

He is also urging offices to follow Fidelity’s example and make sure they have defibrillators on site in case of similar emergencies.

Dr Heyes said: “I consider myself to be an extremely lucky chap as everything that you would want to be in place after a cardiac arrest was available.”

Mr Hurd added: “One of the paramedics dealing with the incident told me that if we had not acted as we did and had an AED (automated external defibrillator) to hand, the outcome for this patient would have been very different.”

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