Express & Star

Right place, right time! Quick-thinking Dave steps in to save gym user's life after heart attack

"Without their help I would not be alive today. . . I am an extremely fortunate person."

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These are the words of a Black Country man who was brought back from the dead thanks to the actions of a personal trainer and a former West Midlands firefighter.

John Sedgley, 72, a retired former finance director from Charlemont Crescent in West Bromwich, was having a chat with his friend after his normal gym session at Village Walsall, on Tempus Drive, when he collapsed from a heart attack.

Dave Joyce, left, who helped save the life of John Sedgley at the Village

Former firefighter and current CPR instructor Dave Joyce, from Willenhall, and one of the club's personal trainers, Mark Rowe, were on hand to help John. They originally thought he was having an epileptic fit before Dave realised he had no pulse and his lips were turning blue.

After failed CPR, Dave then called for a defibrillator and shocked John back to life.

Speaking about the incident back on August 23, Dave, a Wolves season ticket holder, said: "On that day the time of my session had been changed by my personal trainer.

"Me and John have been going to the same gym for years but I never saw him because we always went at different times. I was just there in the right place at the right time.

"John was having a seizure at the bottom of the stairs and one of the PTs was with him. At first we thought he was having an epileptic seizure, but then I did a check on him and he had stopped breathing.

"I called for a defibrillator, which thankfully the Village has, and one of the PTs, Mark, did the compressions while I did mouth to mouth. I had to shock him and as he came back the cavalry arrived with all the paramedics."

John says he does not remember anything about that day. However after a triple heart bypass operation at Wolverhampton's New Cross hospital and a rapid recovery he is now 'fighting fit'.

He said: "Every day is like Christmas now, I am extremely fortunate in every possible way. I am alive, can it get any better?"

John has now met up with Dave to thank him for saving his life and the pair are set to go out for meal with the others who helped him survive.

He explained: "They saved my life – Dave, Mark, the NHS – but so many other people have helped me. My next door neighbour has been doing my gardening while other friends have been coming to visit me, taking me to and from hospital, doing some of my shopping, all that sort of stuff. Everybody has been absolutely terrific."

Dave, 59, from Malvern Close, Willenhall, worked as a firefighter for West Midlands Fire Service for 35 years, but now helps to train businesses in CPR and use of defibrillators for Safeaid Services, a family-run company based at West Midlands House, Gipsy Lane, Willenhall.

He said: "This incident with John just shows how important a little bit of first aid and defibrillator training does. It saved John's life."

Stuart Clowes, 40, from Willenhall, who runs Safeaid Services, added: "Obviously the company is very proud of the actions Dave took. It gives him a good story to tell at his training now. You tell people about the importance of CPR and defibrillators, but this brings it home.

"John has been given another 10, 20 or 30 years with his family thanks to Dave."

For more details or to book a course with Safeaid, visit www.safeaidservices.co.uk or call 01902 482420.

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