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12
Oct 2022
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:
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.
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:
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.
Read more:
- New heritage map reveals Boroughbridge's rich history
- Ofsted finds 'good' village school near Knaresborough is 'like a second home'
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:
“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:
- A mobile CPR training kiosk - believed to be the first of its kind in the UK - which teaches CPR in just 90 seconds. Users watch a tutorial video and practise on a manikin which provides feedback about the effectiveness of the chest compressions.
- An immersive 360 CPR training video which can be viewed on a range of devices, including phones and virtual reality headsets, and sets out the scenario of a student coming across a stranger in cardiac arrest.
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