Man saved by CPR meets couple who saved his life

Ian Clarke was working on a friend's garden when his heart stopped and the neighbours next door administered CPR

A man who was saved by CPR after suffering a cardiac arrest has met the couple who saved his life.

Ian Clarke was working on a friend's garden in Kingskerswell, Devon, when his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the floor.

Next door neighbours started CPR within a few minutes, and kept going until the emergency services arrived.

Jane Taylor, who performed CPR on Mr Clarke, has now arranged CPR training for the community.

Mrs Taylor and Mr Leitch formerly worked for the police

She and her husband formerly worked in the police, so had the relevant training required to help Mr Clarke.

She said people had "nothing to lose" by learning how to perform CPR, as it could save a life.

Mrs Taylor's husband Chris Leitch said: "A lot is said about defibrillators, but somebody's got to do something first. You need confidence and you need to go in and get on with it."

Mr Clarke said he was "extremely lucky" to have survived.

Mr Clarke said he was lucky to be living

"Looking back on it now, 1 in 20 survives a cardiac arrest, and I was one of those 20, but it's one of those statistics that should be a lot higher.

"I think people need to know that when they're doing CPR, you can't hurt anyone. I didn't feel a thing, I was completely out of it.

"Whatever you're doing is going to keep that person alive. My option was die if those people hadn't been there, and I'm lucky enough today to be living," he said.

Mrs Taylor arranged the first aid training at Kingskerswell Parish Centre

Mr Clarke's partner Emma Twamley said she was going to encourage every community to learn the importance of the training.

"We can all be trained in everything in life, but saving a life is probably the most important we could all do, ever," she said.