Heart victim thanks ‘miracle men’
Published: September 14, 2006
A heart attack victim has thanked the two “miracle men” who saved his life after he collapsed at home while on the phone.
Phil Bowen, 62, of Presteigne, Powys, was resuscitated by two firefighters with emergency medical training.
He has been reunited with Dave Lloyd and Chris Niblock for the first time since his collapse in February.
He said he would not have lived without their efforts. The nearest ambulance at the time was 30 miles (48 km) away.
Mr Bowen was speaking on the phone to daughter-in-law Karen Swift, who lives nearby, when he suffered the attack.
She rushed round to his bungalow and called 999 after seeing him collapsed on the floor.
The closest ambulance was in Newtown, so local firefighters were summoned under the “co-responders” scheme introduced two years ago.
Watch manager Mr Lloyd, 52, and firefighter Mr Niblock, 34, who had been trained by paramedic Francis Kilby in resuscitation techniques, reached Mr Bowen’s bungalow two minutes after receiving the emergency call.
Mr Lloyd said: “He was very grey and there was no response at all.”
They administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and two shocks from the defibrillator before putting Mr Bowen into the recovery position.
He was then taken to Abergenvenny Hospital by an ambulance from Hereford.
The former college maintenance worker, who has since received major surgery, said: “I wouldn’t be here but for you two.
“The first thing I remember is waking up in hospital and I didn’t know until later that these lads had saved my life.
“They are miracle workers and I can’t thank them enough. If I had had to wait for an ambulance I’m sure I would have died.”
Stephen Roberts, of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said it was a “classic example” of the difference the use of co-responders could make.
Under the scheme, local firefighters have been trained to deal with life-threatening medical emergencies when an ambulance is not able to attend quickly.
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