Essex driver meets men who saved his life after heart attack

Peter Rowley (centre right) was saved by Kiren Gilmore (left), PC Sam Claxton and Colin Marshall (right)

A driver who had a heart attack at the wheel has said he "would not be here" if it was not for two passing commuters who helped him.

Peter Rowley, 68, from Steeple in Essex, was driving to work when he collapsed at the wheel on 19 November.

Minutes later Colin Marshall, 63, saw his car in a ditch and stopped to help, as well as flagging down first aider Kiren Gilmore, who performed CPR.

Mr Rowley has since made a full recovery.

Both Mr Marshall, from St Lawrence, and Mr Gilmore, from Aldeburgh in Suffolk, were on their way to work via Maldon Road when they found Mr Rowley's BMW at the side of the road just before 06:30 GMT.

'Couldn't find pulse'

Mr Rowley said: "I get choked up talking about, if [Mr Marshall] hadn't stopped and if he hadn't stopped [Mr Gilmore] and he hadn't been trained and done what he did then I wouldn't be here now, it is as simple as that."

Mr Rowley, who is an estimator for damaged cars, has since quit smoking and lost a lot of weight. He said the experience had changed his life.

Mr Marshall said he was "amazed" to see Mr Rowley doing so well.

He said: "I don't know if I believe in miracles but everything fell into place. The last time I saw him he was laying on the road. I couldn't find a pulse. He was gone for 25 minutes."

Mr Gilmore, who volunteers for Aldeburgh Coastguard, said he was glad his first aid training kicked in.

He said: "It is one thing to do it in a training room and quite another to do it for real in a situation like this. But I am glad I kept calm and had taken it in."