HEART attack victim Stuart Taylor yesterday had an emotional reunion with the airborne team that helped to save his life.

The 37-year-old, from Rawcliffe, York, collapsed with a heart attack shortly after taking part in a moto-cross race at Armthorpe, near Doncaster, earlier this year.

But the Yorkshire Air Ambulance airlifted the father-of-two to hospital where he spent three days fighting for his life in the intensive care unit.

However, he is now well on the road to recovery and is looking forward to returning to his job as a sales executive with Elvington-based Barret Tubes.

"The heart attack came totally out of the blue. I had finished the first of three races and was chilling out by my van," said Mr Taylor.

"The next thing I remember was waking up in Doncaster Royal Infirmary with my wife, Lindsey, telling me I had suffered a heart attack.

"I had no symptoms, nothing, and I was the fittest I had been for years. It was a real shock because you don't expect something like that to happen, especially at my age."

St John Ambulance staff at the race track used a defibrillator to re-start Mr Taylor's heart and when the air ambulance arrived paramedics Darren Axe and Lee Davison helped Stuart to start breathing spontaneously.

Mr Davison, who also lives in York, said: "He was unconscious and his condition was still serious, so the fact that we were able to transfer him to hospital quickly was invaluable."

Mr Taylor added: "Although many people have played a vital part in my recovery, I'm thankful the air ambulance was on hand for me because that speedy transfer to hospital could well have saved my life.

"I'm just disappointed I was unconscious for my first ride in a helicopter."