Boroughbridge postmaster recalls being saved after cardiac arrest

A passing motorist saved the life of Boroughbridge postmaster Nigel Hamilton-Evans when he collapsed by the roadside.

Mr Hamilton-Evans, 57, was walking along Aldborough Gate in Boroughbridge when he suddenly collapsed in cardiac arrest.

The passer-by pulled over, called 999 and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Mr Hamilton-Evans said:

“He did CPR and kept me alive until the ambulance arrived.

“If he hadn’t been passing at that exact moment, I wouldn’t be here today. I am so lucky that he knew what to do.

“A few people stopped to offer their help and, while doing CPR is hard work, he said the adrenaline had kicked in by that stage and he wanted to carry on; he said he was determined not to let me die.”

The ambulance crew arrived and continued with the life-saving efforts.

Mr Hamilton-Evans was eventually taken to Harrogate District Hospital before being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary, where he had surgery to fit an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, a small device that sends electrical pulses to regulate abnormal heart rhythms.

Nigel Hamilton-Evans and wife Karen

Nigel Hamilton-Evans and wife Karen.

Mr Hamilton-Evans, who is married to Karen with one son, Rhys, later travelled to meet the man who saved him to say thank-you in person. He said:

“It was a very emotional meeting; this guy had saved my life, what can you say? I asked what I could do for him and his family to say thank-you. He said, ‘nothing, just to see you smile is enough’. He was so humble.”

“Then he said, ‘the one thing you could do is raise awareness of the importance of people learning CPR and defibrillators’, so that’s what I’m doing.”

Since his near-death experience last year, Mr Hamilton-Evans has raised £1,600 towards funding a community public access defibrillator, which will be located in Boroughbridge. He also plans to organise CPR training in the town.

He will be sharing his experiences with students who are learning CPR to mark Restart a Heart Day at Boroughbridge High School on Friday this week.

Restart a Heart Day

Mr Hamilton-Evans is one of many cardiac arrest survivors and their life-savers supporting Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s attempts to provide CPR training to more than 40,000 people to mark Restart a Heart Day.

Ambulance staff and volunteers will visit 136 secondary schools to teach the life-saving skill to tens of thousands of students.

Professional football clubs in Yorkshire are also urging members of the public to get hands-on as ambulance staff and volunteers visit stadiums throughout October to teach CPR to football fans. They will be at Harrogate Town’s home match against Hartlepool on Saturday.

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This year’s activity means that Yorkshire Ambulance Service staff and volunteers will smash the milestone of more than 200,000 people being taught CPR since the Restart a Heart campaign was launched in 2014. During this time bystander CPR rates in Yorkshire have increased from 40% to 75%.

Jason Carlyon, community engagement officer with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said:

“Our message is simple – please be confident to intervene when someone has a cardiac arrest.

“Everyone in every community has a role to play in the chain of survival, whether it’s by calling 999, doing chest compressions, locating a defibrillator, retrieving it or by telling others what to do.

“We come across many patients who are alive today because someone started CPR when they collapsed – everyone deserves that chance.”

To mark this year’s Restart a Heart Day, Yorkshire Ambulance Service has launched two CPR training methods: