Are shopping centre staff lifesavers? You bet they are

AFOOTBALL fan who suffered a heart attack in the bookies has been reunited with the shopping centre staff who saved his life.

Keith Fletcher, 67, was putting his regular Saturday afternoon bet on in Rochdale town centre when he fell seriously ill.

Luckily for the retired engineer, staff at the nearby Rochdale Exchange shopping centre trained in life-saving first aid techniques, were on hand.

They performed CPR on Keith and used a defibrillator to help to stabilise him until paramedics arrived to take him to hospital.

Keith, of Rochdale, said: “I’m a keen football fan, so I was visiting the bookmakers to place my bet, when I suddenly fell off my chair having the heart attack.

“Before the incident, I wasn’t feeling unwell or in any pain and I’d even walked around Hollingworth Lake twice that morning, like I do everyday, so it was a shock when I woke up in Fairfield General Hospital to find out I’d had a heart attack.”

Keith spent about three weeks in hospital undergoing blood transfusions before finally being allowed to go home.

Unaware of what had happened he went back to the bookies and discovered that shopping centre security staff Tony Kemp and Raja Tariq together with assistant guest services manager Mark Bleasdale had helped save his life, following the heart attack on September 30.

And now Keith has been reunited with the trio and thanked them for their incredible efforts.

Keith said: “After being discharged from hospital I went back to the bookmakers, as I had no idea what had actually happened that day, and they let me know that it was the team at Rochdale Exchange that had helped to save my life.

“I then met with Mark, Tony and Raja and I couldn’t show my appreciation to them enough for all the help they gave to me by keeping me alive until the emergency services arrived.”

Mark said: “We were asked to assist with a first aid incident, and even though the betting store is not part of the shopping centre, we naturally agreed to help.

“Tony attended the bookmakers before requesting the defibrillator.

“I immediately went out to the store to find Keith in the recovery position and not breathing.

“Whilst I prepared the equipment, Tony gave Keith CPR and Raja spoke to the emergency services.

“After using the defibrillator, we managed to keep him breathing and his heart beating until the ambulance arrived.

“Following the incident, we were so glad to hear that Keith was recovering well in hospital and then a few weeks later to see him coming into the centre to thank us was amazing.”

Lorenzo O’Reilly, Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre manager, added: “Mark, Tony and Raja did an incredible job and it shows the importance of knowing how to do first aid, especially how to use a defibrillator, as you never know when it may be required.”

Since his heart attack, Keith is back walking around Hollingworth Lake every morning and still likes to put a bet on.

To reduce his risk of suffering another heart attack, he’s due to be fitted with a pacemaker before Christmas. ●●Football fan Keith Fletcher is reunited with Rochdale Exchange shopping centre staff who saved his life, from left, security officer Raja Tariq,operations manager Chris Doidge, assistant guest services manager Mark Bleasdale and security officer Tony Kemp.