A Stirling-based ambulance crew have been branded “lifesavers” after springing to the aid of a man who suffered a heart attack in his shower.
Paramedic Greg Farquharson, technician Susanna Mowatt and student colleague Kaylah Sutherland – who is in the third year of her degree from Glasgow Caledonian University – leapt into action after receiving the callout to stricken Ian Mitchell on April 23 this year.
The 67-year-old had just climbed out of the hot tub with wife Elaine when he felt chest tightness and asked her to phone an ambulance.
After arriving and treating Ian at his Polmont home, the crew soon whisked him off to Edinburgh where he was fitted with a stent after being shocked three times on the journey.
Following a three-day stay at the capital unit, he was on his way back to Forth Valley Royal for recuperation – and it was there that he met the crew members who had treated him on that Friday night, with Ian able to pass on his heartfelt thanks.
He said: “I owe my life to the crew. My family and I want them to know how grateful we are.
“It was about 11.30pm and I had shut the tub up before going for a quick shower before bed and it was while I was in there that I started to get this pain in my back and chest and my arms started tingling.
“I came out of the shower and struggled to shout to my wife and so I started thumping about on the floor and eventually I managed to get her attention and she phoned an ambulance.
“It felt like forever to me, but my wife says it was only about ten minutes before the guy and two girls set me up and put the wee things on my chest and then they were on the phone to Edinburgh before I was put into a chair.
“I remember that I had lost my mate to Covid in the early weeks and he had walked out to the ambulance so I told them that I wanted to say cheerio to my wife and tell her that I loved her because I did feel as if I might not be coming back.”
Ian admits the incident has left lasting damage on him – and believes that he was especially fortunate that a local crew was available to come to his aid so quickly to prevent a tragic outcome.
He added: “The ambulance crew came in to see me and asked how I was doing and that I was very lucky that night.
“I just feel very humbled that they did that and it felt absolutely brilliant to see them in the hospital while I was still recovering.
“They said things went for me that night because they were in the area and I actually started to cry when I saw them because I couldn’t believe they made the effort to come and see me.
“My heart has been a little damaged by the whole thing and I don’t have the energy that I had before but I’m just happy to be alive.
“The photo of myself and my wife in the hot tub that I shared was because the hot tub company were asking people to light them up blue for the NHS, so I used it to get across just how grateful I am to the ambulance service.”
