A dog walker airlifted to hospital after suffering a heart attack has thanked the crew who helped save his life.
Mark Barrett, who was 55 at the time of the incident, was walking his dog in the Lake District when he suddenly felt his heart pounding and began to sweat profusely.
Recognising the severity of the situation, Mark’s wife immediately called for an ambulance.
Within 10 minutes, paramedics arrived on the scene and quickly assessed Mark’s condition, realising he was experiencing a major heart attack.
Describing his heart as ‘tombstoning’, the crew knew they needed to get Mark to the hospital as soon as possible.
When the critical care paramedics from the North West Air Ambulance arrived, they could see that Mark was having a heart attack.
The best course of treatment was to take him to a specialist cardiac centre. The crew transferred him from the land ambulance to the air ambulance, but as the engines started, Mark lost consciousness. He had gone into cardiac arrest and had no pulse.
The crew shocked him with a defibrillator which enabled his heart to return to normal.
Mark, of Askam, said he remembered when the air ambulance crew put a cannula in his right wrist and worked on him for about an hour before he lost memory of the events.
Due to Mark’s location, the nearest cardiac specialist centre was Blackpool Victoria Hospital, the journey via a land ambulance would have taken over 90 minutes.
Within that 90 minutes Mark’s condition may have worsened, but the air ambulance was able to fly him there in 14 minutes.
Despite being technically dead on arrival at the hospital, Mark made an astonishing recovery and was back home just a few days after the incident.
Now 59, Mark is now able to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, like walking his beloved dog as well as his passion for golf. Thanks to the lifesaving work of the charity, Mark is now back to playing golf 3-4 times a week. This is a significant milestone, as he had to temporarily give up golf immediately after his heart attack.
As the North West Air Ambulance Charity celebrates its 25th anniversary, Mark’s story serves as a reminder of the charity’s dedication to saving lives and providing critical care in emergency situations.
Mark said: “I am incredibly grateful to the crew for saving my life and getting me the medical attention I needed so quickly. Without their quick actions and expertise, I might not be here today, enjoying life to the fullest.
“Their professionalism, dedication and compassion are truly unmatched. I will forever be grateful to them for giving me a second chance at life. Thank you, North West Air Ambulance Charity, from the bottom of my heart.”
