A DURHAM grandfather whose life was saved by the swift actions of his wife and staff at North East Ambulance Service has been able to thank his lifesavers personally.

Colin Oxberry, 60, suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Durham earlier this year after returning home from a 10-mile bike ride.

His wife, Annette, immediately called 999 and, with the help of health advisor Melanie Brown, began administering life-saving CPR until the arrival of paramedic Ian Hunwick and clinical care assistant Joanne Metcalf minutes later.

Mr Hunwick said: “Luckily we were only a few minutes away from their home when the call was passed to us.

“When we arrived, Colin was in full cardiac arrest and was making no respiratory effort but Annette had been doing really good CPR, which makes all the difference, and was still on the phone to Mel.”

Together they took over CPR and shocked Colin twice with a defibrillator before being backed up by paramedic Imogen Newby and clinical care assistant Emily Claridge.

He added: “It was very much a team effort. It took us a lot to get him back. We shocked him 11 or 12 times with a defibrillator.”

“We never know what situation you’re going to walk into,” said Emily, who joined NEAS two years ago. “You don’t get a huge amount of detail through when you’re travelling but knowing CPR is in progress makes all the difference, it’s a relief.”

Colin has since made a full recovery and contacted North East Ambulance Service straight away to thank the crew.

“It’s something that came quite out of the blue,” he said. “I’m not what you would call heart attack material – I’ve always done competitive sport, have competed in a few Great North Runs and I’m a regular cycler. Yet one of the main arteries in my heart was blocked. It just shows that it can happen to anyone, I feel very lucky.

“I’ve since found out that only five per cent of people survive this sort of incident. I realise how close I came and you can’t thank the people that saved you enough, it’s a debt you can never repay. They gave me more time with my children and grandchildren. These people are literally life savers and the only thing I can do is say thank you.”

Annette added: “Without Melanie’s calm instructions I would not have been able to help my husband until the paramedics arrived.

“Their prompt response to my 999 call, their professionalism and their determination not to give up, ensured Colin was able to receive the appropriate treatment in hospital. They also ensured we as a family were kept up to date with what was happening in the hospital, and what had happened in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Their concern for me and my family was very much appreciated.”

Melanie, who joined NEAS two years ago, said: “Annette was very focused and calm and followed the instructions I gave her really well, despite the magnitude of the situation she was faced with.

Imogen, who qualified as a paramedic seven years ago, added: “Without Annette starting CPR, Colin’s outcome could have been very different. It really does make all the difference and without it can make our job impossible.

“Unfortunately this sort of outcome is quite rare so it’s great to be able to meet Colin and see him looking so well.”