A MAN has thanked paramedics for giving him “second chance” to see his grandchildren grow up after giving him life-saving medical treatment.

John Moore, 69, had been at home planning to go out with friends to celebrate New Year’s Eve when he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.

The former rugby player and coach was helped by his wife, Kathleen, and family friends, who called 999 from their Billingham home.

Mrs Moore, an ex-nurse, began performing CPR before a North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) call handler began counting with the group to keep a rhythm to restart Mr Moore’s heart.

Mrs Moore said: “John was sitting laughing and joking one minute and the next he was slumped in the chair.”

She added: “The call handler was brilliant the whole time.”

The Northern Echo: Grandfather-of-four, John Moore, 69, from Billingham, with his wife, Kathleen Moore. Picture: DOUG PITTMAN

NEAS call handlers support more than 2,200 callers with carrying out CPR every year while dealing with more than one million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls to despatch ambulance crews.

Iain Hendy, an emergency care clinical manager who has worked at NEAS for 21 years, was first on the scene before emergency care technicians, Jamie Pattison and Steven Laird, arrived.

The crew shocked the 69-year-old three times with a defibrillator before he regained consciousness and was taken to James Cook University Hospital.

The father-of-two and grandfather-of-four is now on the road to recovery and has been reunited with the medics that resuscitated him on New Year’s Eve 2016.

Mr Moore said: “I wasn’t in a position to thank them and so wanted to meet them to say thank you for what they did to keep me alive.

“Kathleen and David kept me going, but these guys saved my life.

“The NHS gets so much flack these days – I think it’s important to thank North East Ambulance Service and the hospital staff. I might not be here if it wasn’t for them.

“I’m getting back into walking and I walk the dogs as much as I can, but I still get breathless.

“I’ve got a second chance because of the help I received and I’m so pleased I’ll be here to see my grandchildren grow up.”

Of more than one million calls made seeking NEAS assistance in 2015/16, nearly 300,000 patients were taken to hospital with emergency crews reaching 133,000 incidents within the national target of eight minutes.

Following the crew’s reunion with Mr Moore, Mr Hendy, said: “It’s been great to see John looking so well. It really gives you a rewarding feeling to know you have been able to make a difference to someone’s life.”

Crewmate Mr Pattison, who joined NEAS six months ago, added: “We don’t get to see patients after the incident very often so it is great to be able to see the result, meet John to see how he is getting on.”