Gran riding high after PC helps to save her life

4:02am Saturday 22nd March 2008

A MOUNTED police officer rode to the rescue to help save a pensioner's life after she fell into a diabetic coma on a bus.

The bus driver flagged down PC John Barron, who was on patrol in Hartlepool after the grandmother fell ill.

PC Barron dismounted from Clyde and jumped aboard the single decker to help the 72-year-old.

Diabetic Joan Guthrie was travelling home from Hartlepool town centre on Wednesday when she fell ill as the bus travelled through King Oswy.

The pensioner, married to the late Ralph Guthrie, a former Hartlepool United goalkeeper, slipped into a deep low blood sugar coma following a check-up appointment at a town clinic.

The next thing she remembered was waking in hospital.

Mrs Guthrie said: "Every little girl dreams of being rescued by a man on a horse, but not quite in those circumstances.

"I can't remember anything from boarding the bus to waking up in hospital.

"It just goes to show that there are good people are out there. Not everyone gets out of these comas, so I am very grateful to him."

PC Barron said: "The bus driver flagged me down. I thought he was having trouble with some kids, but then he said one of his passengers was ill. I had a look in her bag to see if I could get any clues as to the problem.

"There was some paperwork about her being a diabetic, so it gave me more of an idea what to do.

"I got someone to get me a Mars Bar and I also found some glucose tablets in her bag. She started to respond by the time the ambulance arrived.

"We're given first aid training, but it was the paramedics did all the donkey work."

The bus driver held on to PC Barron's horse as he looked after her. Joan was taken to the University Hospital of Hartlepool and was released that evening.

PC Barron called Mrs Guthrie the next morning to check she was okay.

To show her thanks, the grandmother delivered a Mars Bar Easter egg to the station.