A HEXHAM-BASED ambulance crew have been reunited with an 81-year-old man whose life they helped to save.

John Young collapsed in Newcastle City Centre at the end of November after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Off-duty nurse Ingrid Pridmore, who works at the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, was on hand to give him CPR until paramedic Graham Boyd arrived, followed minutes later by Hexham-based ambulance crew Steve Bridge, David Errington and Stewart Connor.

Steve, an emergency care technician, said: “When we arrived, Stewart used a bag valve and mask to breathe for Mr Young, while the nurse continued CPR.

“Graham shocked Mr Young twice before we arrived and we shocked him a further three times at scene and then again on the way to hospital as he re-arrested in the back of the ambulance.

“We monitored his heart and his breathing and administered drugs to help his condition.

“He had a very unusual heart rhythm compared to a lot of cardiac arrest cases and he was in a confused and agitated state after we resuscitated him due to oxygen starvation. It was a lot of work by all five of us.”

Initially Mr Young was taken to the RVI for emergency care, before being transferred to the Freeman where he had a stent inserted to open up the affected coronary artery. Following his recovery, Mr Young, who lives in Ashington and is a former councillor at Wansbeck Council, asked to meet up with the ambulance team and Ingrid to say thank you.

He said: “I wanted to thank them all – they saved my life.

“One moment I was looking at a shop window by the Gate and then I woke up the in the RVI.”