Rob Waggett the Survivor

Two hours later Dianna heard him struggling for breath through a baby monitor she keeps on the upstairs landing and by the time she reached him Rob was taking his last breaths.

Dianna, 29, said: “I said my goodbyes and told him I loved him and then watched as he died in my arms.”

She dialled 999 and was told how to try to resuscitate him as an ambulance was alerted.

Dianna also shouted to next-door neighbour Gary Thompson who helped her desperately perform CPR for four minutes until the paramedics arrived.

They then used a defibrillator to shock Rob’s heart six times without success.

As the minutes clicked by they tried one last time — and he suddenly started breathing again.

He was then rushed to hospital where he was put into a medically-induced coma.

Doctors warned her that even if he pulled through it was likely he had suffered serious brain damage.

She said: “I started grieving because I thought there was no hope, I didn’t know what I was going to tell our two young sons.”

Three days later Rob shocked doctors when he opened his eyes — but he failed to recognise Dianna who was keeping a bedside vigil because his brain had been starved of oxygen.

But amazingly the next day he woke up and asked nurses: “What’s my wife doing sleeping on the floor?”

He gradually began to piece together his long-term memories and three days later was well enough to see his children, three-year-old Mylo and Koby, one.

Dianna said she will always be grateful to neighbour Mr Thompson and paramedics Dan Faulker, Alan Hodge and Gary Evans.

“I am so grateful that the paramedics carried on working on him.

“They didn’t just save Rob’s life, they’ve saved mine and the children’s as well.”

Rob said: “It hasn’t sunk in yet what has happened. I’m so thankful to hospital staff and everyone who helped.”

Michelle MacIntosh, left, and John Dunn meet with emergency medical dispatcher April Campbell

For all intents and purposes, he died that night. Right there in his bed, sleeping. He is 45 and a father. Healthy. Fit. A runner, volunteer firefighter, hockey player and a guy whose greatest decadence is cream with his coffee.

Dave’s story Around 3:15 a. m., the peace of the night is shattered by a noise so loud, so strange it wakes up Michelle.

It’s John. Is he snoring? No. He’s on his back, rocking. His arms and legs pull in and out in a fetal position. Is he having a nightmare?

She pushes herself up to her knees and shakes his shoulders. “John,” she shouts. Before she can shake him again, his body goes limp and he collapses into the bed.

“I could feel him leaving,” she says. “I could feel him die.”

She grabs him again and shakes his shoulders. Harder. She prays that he wakes up, but there is no response. Then, with all the strength she can muster, she hits him square in the chest with the base of her hand. He takes in a long, funny breath.

He had no pulse. He was not breathing.

Thing is, his partner in life couldn’t just let him go without a fight. They’ve been together for just three years, yet feel like high school sweethearts. Between them, they have three children. Three very important reasons for living.

So, 39-year-old Michelle MacIntosh fought back.

Michelle MacIntosh, 39, is a counsellor and life coach who in the early morning hours of Nov. 1 became the lifeline for her partner, 45- year-old John Dunn.

She called 911. On the other end of the line was a woman whose voice she will never forget.

“What’s your name,” asks the woman.

“April,” answers the voice on the other end of the phone.

“I’m Michelle,” the woman says. “You need to help me save his life.”

April Campbell is an emergency medical dispatcher with Niagara EMS. April taught Michelle how to do CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation). She was the calm in a chaotic night.

The cordless phone is wedged between Michelle’s ear and shoulder. She is kneeling on the bed beside John. Pushing on his chest. Counting each compression out loud.

Michelle is a manual life support machine. John’s first life support.

Michelle can hear the rumble of the fire truck outside her home. She runs to unlock her door. At her doorstep are four firefighters from Station 3, Captain Ron Baerg and firefighters Dave Merry, Eric Farlow and Kevin Beamer.

Eric begins CPR. Compressions. Dave gets the defibrillator ready. Puts the pads on John’s chest. Kevin gets the BVM, a bag valve mask, in place.

Paramedics Trevor, Adam and Evan arrive. John’s heart is in ventricular fibrillation, shaking like a bowl of Jello.

John is defibrillated once. One shock. His quivering, chaotic heart returns to a normal rhythm.

He starts to chew and spit up the airway firefighters had put in. He breathes on his own. He has a pulse.

Sunday morning. John is conscious. Doctors pull the breathing tube out of his mouth. Michelle watches with John’s 14-year-old son, Kurt.

It has made them stronger. Closer. “I look at Michelle and I feel like I’ve known her forever,” says John.

“I feel like she was my high school sweetheart.”