A MAN has thanked the care worker whose quick-thinking saved his life when he suffered a heart attack.

Keith Binks believes he wouldn't have been alive today if Elaine McQuillan had not reacted so effectively when she found him slumped unconscious in a chair in the communal area of the Jubilee Court extra care housing scheme in Eston, near Middlesbrough.

The 56-year-old, who works as a Team Leader for Caremark (Redcar and Cleveland), administered CPR to 65-year-old Mr Binks for ten minutes, managing to restart his heart by the time paramedics arrived on the scene.

Mr Binks did not realise what had happened until he woke up in hospital and was told about Elaine’s life-saving actions.

“I remember very little other than it was the day of my birthday and that I was sitting in a chair in the lounge," he said. “The next thing I knew I was waking up in hospital and was told that Elaine had brought me back to life."

Mrs McQullan, who lives in Redcar and is married with five children and ten grand-children, said: “I remember someone shouting that Keith was unconscious in his chair and I ran over and could feel no pulse.

“Along with colleagues we managed to get him on the floor and I started to do chest compressions.

“It seemed like I was doing it forever, but it was actually around ten minutes and Keith started to groan so I kept going until the paramedics arrived.”

In hospital Mr Binks discovered he had a heart murmur and this is what had caused his heart to stop. He now wears a pacemaker and is recovering well back at Jubilee Court.