A man who collapsed in a supermarket after suffering a cardiac arrest has thanked to two men who helped save his life.
Mark James, 48, had nipped to the toilet while shopping at the Waitrose store in Eaton but took a turn for the worse and had to be brought back from the brink of death by Ben Michie and David Hellier.
The pair are to be given Royal Humane Society awards following their actions and Mr James contacted the paper to thank them – and the others who came to his aid – for helping to save his life.
Mr James, a driving instructor, who lives with his wife, Debra, and children Thomas, 18, and Katie, 13, said: 'I'm very, very grateful indeed to the two people who saved my life. They were first on scene and they've got limited medical training so what they did was absolutely fantastic.
'It's great that I got to have Christmas with my family, so not only thank you from me, but from my family – and particularly my children who still had a dad at Christmas.'
As well as thanking Mr Michie, a father-of-one from Costessey, and store worker Mr Hellier, a father-of-three from Wymondham, Mr James said he also wanted to thank everyone else involved, including paramedics, hospital and other medical staff.
He said: 'I want to express my thanks to everyone who was there on that day who pulled me through and to everyone who went out of their way to help one person they didn't know. It's absolutely amazing. I feel very humbled that so many people could help.'
Mr James, from Foxley, near Dereham, had been suffering chest pains and had seen his doctor who had booked him in for a chest examination appointment at the hospital for two days after he suffered the cardiac arrest on June 9.
He said he remembers nothing from the day apart from thinking he was going to drive to Waitrose and have a look around the store and after coming round in hospital can only recall trying to work the television.
Mr James, who has had stents put in, said the ordeal brought back memories of him losing his father, Donald, to heart-related problems 19 years ago – and also of others less fortunate than him who had lost loved ones. Mr Michie, 32, a fencing and landscape worker, was working on site at the time of Mr James's collapse. He went to get help and found store worker Mr Hellier, who called for an ambulance while he carried out cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the toilet floor.
Mr Michie, a former Sprowston High School pupil, is to receive a Royal Humane Society resuscitation certificate and Mr Hellier, of Ashleigh Gardens, Wymondham, will get a certificate of commendation.
Have you helped save someone's life? Email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk
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