Widnes cardiac arrest survivor thanks NHS team who saved him

Ray Hughes, pictured with his wife Ann, said it was "emotional" to meet everyone involved in his survival

A retired policeman has said he is the "luckiest man alive" after meeting the NHS team who helped save his life.

Ray Hughes had been walking with five friends near the M62 in Widnes when he suddenly collapsed in September.

One of the group, a North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) volunteer, instantly recognised the signs of cardiac arrest and started CPR until emergency services arrived.

Mr Hughes said it was "emotional" to meet everyone involved in his survival.

From the phone operator to the ambulance staff, Mr Hughes said: "I've had the opportunity to actually thank them and to know what they look like."

Paramedic Paula Rimmer said Mr Hughes "had no signs of life" when she arrived at the scene

Mr Hughes had been walking in Pex Hill Country Park near Cronton when he started to feel unwell.

"We'd walked about two miles and I started to feel a little bit woozy," he said.

"I didn't have any heart ache or breathlessness or anything that would suggest a heart attack impending, but that's what was happening to me.

"I just blacked out and didn't know anything after that."

Fortunately Mr Hughes's friend, Greg Wood, an NWAS volunteer and an enhanced community first responder, started CPR while the others tried to pinpoint their location and call 999.The first medical crews arrived at the scene within seven minutes and were able to pull up on the hard shoulder of the motorway and climb over the barrier and down an embankment to reach Mr Hughes.

Mr Hughes had been walking with friends on a path in a park near to the M62

Among them was paramedic Paula Rimmer who said she "immediately recognised that Ray had no signs of life".

"He wasn't breathing, he didn't have a pulse," she said.

She was able to use a defibrillator and after 28 minutes, Mr Hughes's heart rhythm returned.

He was taken to Broadgreen hospital for treatment and has since had a successful triple bypass operation and has been recovering at home.

"I'm the luckiest man alive," Mr Hughes said.

"I'm lucky because I had some great friends around me when it happened to me and lucky for the North West Ambulance Service."