A Glasgow dad’s life has been saved by a hero taxi driver after he suffered a cardiac arrest in the back of a cab on the way to hospital.
Jake Sinclair, 64, had been chatting away to driver Charlie Matthews, 63, during the short journey to Stobhill Hospital when he suddenly fell silent and slumped over.
The landscaper, originally from Royston but now living in Springburn, had been heading for a routine procedure on Tuesday, September 1 after suffering a heart attack in July. He was picked up by Charlie from a local taxi rank near his home.
Driver's Quick Thinking Saves Life
His daughter Donna Sinclair, 39, from Barmulloch, described the terrifying moment. She told the Record: “During the journey, which is only around five minutes, he was talking away to the driver and then all of a sudden his heart stopped and he keeled over.
“As Charlie was pulling into Stobhill, he realised my dad had gone very quiet. He looked back and noticed my dad was slumped over. His heart had stopped and he had suffered a cardiac arrest.
“He was only going for a routine procedure after previously suffering a heart attack in July and instead died for a matter of minutes in the back of a taxi.”
The quick-thinking driver immediately sped in and alerted a porter, with around 20 hospital staff rushing outside to perform CPR before paramedics arrived.
Recovery and Reunion
Jake was shocked five times to restart his heart before being rushed to the Golden Jubilee Hospital, where he had two new stents fitted and spent four days in intensive care and two days on a ventilator.
Donna said: “It was so scary because we didn’t know how long his heart had stopped for or how long he was deprived of oxygen. We were told it could have been around two minutes.
“We are just so lucky Charlie noticed what was happening, otherwise my dad could have died.”
The family initially had no idea what had happened. Donna said she only learned of the emergency around 10.30am when Police Scotland called.
She recalled: “I thought it was the hospital phoning to tell me his procedure was finished as I was due to pick him up.
“Instead, the officer said, ‘He never made it to the hospital, he took unwell getting there’. When he said it, I didn’t know what to think. I just wanted to know he was alive.”
While in intensive care, doctors warned the family they did not know what he would be like when he woke.
Donna said: “Because of how quick he was seen at Stobhill, thanks to Charlie, his life was saved. If it hadn't been for his quick thinking, we might not still have our dad around.”
Fate and Gratitude
In an extraordinary twist of fate, Jake had actually gone to hospital on the wrong day. His appointment was not until the following day.
Donna said: “If he hadn’t gone to the hospital on the Tuesday, he would have been in the house on his own. No one would have known. It was fate, he was meant to go to hospital on the wrong day.”
She added that cabbie Charlie did not normally use the Springburn taxi rank but happened to be the only driver there that day.
“Everything fell into place to save my dad’s life,” she said.
After Jake began recovering, Donna contacted Glasgow Taxis to find the driver and thank him. On Tuesday, September 15, Charlie visited the family home and was finally reunited with Jake.
The two men have since swapped numbers and discovered they share a number of friends.
Donna said: “Charlie could have completely froze and not known what to do but instead he was our hero.”
The family also returned to Stobhill the following to thank the staff who helped save Jake.
Donna said: “They all burst into tears because they had no idea if he had lived.”
Dougie McPherson, Glasgow Taxis chairman, added: "First and foremost we're so pleased and relieved to hear Jake is recovering well. We wish him and his family all the best as he continues in that positive direction.
"As for Charlie, well, all we can say is thanks. He is a superstar for keeping his cool when the stakes were so high and we're all so very proud of him.
"Glasgow Taxi drivers provide countless acts of kindness every day, largely unseen. Charlie's actions are on another level to be fair but the way he responded aligns with how much everyone at Glasgow Taxis cares about this city and those who live here, work here or visit here.
"People really do Make Glasgow - and Charlie is just the latest example of this."
