Cyclist says thanks to his life-savers
Emergencycallhandlersand goodSamaritanssavedthelife of a dad who collapsed while in a cycling race.
Ray Honour was at South Shields Velodrome when he collapsed just as he started the last lap of a veterans’ race.
Heather Huntley and Damon Devine were watching the event in December last year and helped Ray, calling 999, beginning CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and calling for someone togetthecommunitydefibrillator, which gave him several shocks.
North East Ambulance Service call handler Gary Mayne dispatched an ambulance and talked those helpinghimthroughthesituation.
Damon had never given CPR before, but managed to perform it upon Ray, who was taken to South Tyneside DistrictHospitalandthenthe Freeman Hospital in Newcastle with daughter Rebecca by his side.
It’s only afterwards that Ray, an electronics operator at ZF in Peterlee, found out there were hereditary heart problems on both sides of his family.
Joined by wife Joanne and mum Joan, 47-year-old Ray, from Fleetham Close, Chester-le-Street, reunited with the team who helped to save his life to say thank you
He said: “It’s unbelievable whatpeopledidformeonthe day. I have made such a good recovery, I probably feel as fit ifnotfitterthanbefore.I’mon the right medication and my heart is better.
“All I remember was that I was leading in my category. I came round and started the last lap. The next thing I remember was being in the back of the ambulance. I’m so grateful to everyone for what they did for me that day.”
Recalling the incident, Damon said: “The race was on the last lap when I heard a shout for assistance. A man was on the floor; he was no longer breathing and we couldn’t find a pulse.
“Heather was fantastic at giving instructions. She is first aid-trained and told me exactlywhattodo.WegaveRay a number of shocks with the defibrillator. It was an amaz- ing piece of kit – it just told us whattodoallthewaythrough.”
Rapidresponseparamedic ClareEdmondswaspartofthe ambulance team. She helped get Ray’s heart started and to transport him to hospital.
“We can help to revive the heart once we get to a patient in Ray’s condition, but without early CPR and defibrillation, he could have suffered cerebral damage that would have made a difference to his futurequalityoflife,”shesaid.
“Heather and Damon’s actions helped to ensure that Ray had the best chances for a full recovery.
Ray has since had three heart stents an internal defibrillatorfitted,hashadtogive up his driving licence for six months and is taking a break from cycle racing – after which he’ll talk to his family and doctors and then decide whether he’ll race again.
He’s already back in the saddle to cycle to work in Peterlee.
To find out more about community defibrillators, find your nearest and apply for funding for one, visit: / our-services/communitydefibrillators/funding-opportunities.aspx.