Firefighters honoured for saving colleague's life

Grangetown Red Watch delivered emergency medical care to a colleague

Fire crews have been commended for saving the life of a colleague who suffered a cardiac arrest on duty.

Crew manager Alex Sutherland was on shift with Grangetown Red Watch when he suddenly collapsed on Birk Brow Bank, in Saltburn.

Firefighters Adam Bell, Andy Spall and Paul Harforth delivered CPR at the side of the road while they waited for support from another crew and paramedics.

Mr Sutherland has had an internal defibrillator fitted and is making a "good recovery", according to Cleveland Fire Brigade.

The crews have now been presented with a Chief Fire Officer's Commendation.

Alex Sutherland has had an internal defibrillator fitted and hopes to return to work soon

Mr Sutherland said he had no recollection of the cardiac arrest, or the weeks following.

He was given three shocks from a defibrillator and taken to hospital and put in a coma for 24 hours. He then had four separate operations, which included having an internal defibrillator fitted.

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The crew manager said he was "very lucky" and "forever grateful".

"I was in the right place at the right time, with the right people, who have had the right training," he said.

"It's lucky because I shouldn't have been at work that day, I was covering someone else's shift, and if I hadn't have been, I would've been at home on my own and it would've been very much a different outcome."

Mr Sutherland added doctors had explained what happened as "basically sudden death syndrome...an electrical fault with my heart".

Firefighters Adam Bell and Paul Harforth were first to provide CPR to Mr Sutherland

Mr Bell, Mr Spall and Mr Harforth were with Mr Sutherland on 5 April when he collapsed.

Firefighter Mr Harforth recalls the day as being like any other.

They were attending a fuel spillage on Birk Brow Bank, when he noticed Mr Sutherland had taken "three or four dodgy steps" and went over flat on his face.

Mr Bell said he was initially conscious, but about 30 seconds later he started going blue and they realised he was not breathing.

The team started performing CPR and waited for a second crew and paramedics to arrive.

For Mr Bell and Mr Spall, it was the first time they had given CPR.

Mr Harforth added: "Looking back, I can't believe that he's here, I can't believe what we've done...there was me, Adam and Andy by ourselves for 13 minutes."

The fire brigade described the teams' actions as "professional, heroic and prompt"