A 67-year-old man whose heart stopped twice has thanked the paramedics who saved his life, in a new episode of the Channel 4 series 999: On the Front Line. The incident, which aired on Sunday (October 11) evening, saw South Western Ambulance Service paramedic Lloyd and his colleague Charlie called to an address in Bristol after a carer reported a man experiencing breathing difficulties.
"He's not breathing," the woman told the 999 operator, "He was struggling to breathe, and then he just started gasping for breath." At that point, the operator instructed the caller on how to give the man chest compressions, as CPR was needed, while paramedics raced to the scene.
Paramedics find Roy clinically dead
The 67-year-old man, named Roy, who is paralysed from a car accident 25 years ago, stopped breathing when the medics arrived. Lloyd told the camera, "When we first saw Roy, it didn't look good; he was not breathing, and as soon as we were at his side, we could tell he didn't have a pulse, which told us, essentially, he is clinically dead."
A second team of paramedics joined Charlie and Lloyd, and the team managed to successfully restart Roy's heart as they all battled to keep him stable. "It's really important we act fast because every minute that passes, Roy's chances of survival drop drastically," Charlie said.
Second cardiac arrest and recovery
At one point, Roy managed to open his eyes as the ambulance crews were also joined by a doctor and a critical care medic from Great Western Air, who also arrived at the scene. The team successfully removed Roy from his flat and safely into an ambulance. However, he soon lost consciousness once more as paramedics tried to save his life.
"For the second time tonight, the team gets Roy's heart beating once again," the show narrator told viewers while Roy was rushed into the hospital. Roy made a full recovery after a blockage in his airway ultimately sent him into cardiac arrest. He spent 11 days in the hospital.
Roy expressed his gratitude, saying, "I would like to say to everyone involved in the whole process a very big thank you and well done to everyone." 999 On The Front Line airs on More4 on Sundays at 9:00 PM, with past and current episodes available to stream on-demand via Channel 4.
