Nottingham: Grandfather to reunite with team who saved his life

Chris Handley says he has gone back to swimming three times a week and spending quality time with his family

A grandfather says staying later than usual at his daughter's house saved his life.

Chris Handley, 67, from Nottingham, went into cardiac arrest on 9 November while his seven-year-old granddaughter had her dinner.

He described the incident as "like someone flicking off a light switch" until he woke up eight days later at the Queen's Medical Centre.

On Monday, he will reunite with the ambulance crew that saved him.

Usually fit and healthy, Mr Handley would have normally said his goodbyes to daughter April Handley and granddaughter Summer before heading home from their house in Bestwood, but on this occasion he stayed slightly longer.

"If I'd have left my daughter's house when I usually leave, I'd have been at home alone," Mr Handley said.

"I wouldn't be alive today for sure.

"My last memory was talking to Summer on the sofa, mentioning to her how good I thought her dinner looked.

"I then woke up eight days later in intensive care."

'Dad in trouble'

Ms Handley said she was in the kitchen when her daughter said, "stop pretending to be asleep granddad".

"When I came in to see what was happening, my dad was snoring, gargling, and went pale in colour," she added.

Ms Handley, a former police officer, quickly dialled 999 and was advised that her father was in cardiac arrest, so she began chest compressions.

She added: "Despite having the instinct of knowing what to do in this situation, it was completely different this time because it was my dad in trouble.

"It was really upsetting for Summer when she realised that granddad wasn't being silly."

Emergency staff arrived on scene just six minutes after the call to take over CPR from Ms Handley, and her father was taken to hospital, where he spent three weeks.

When he meets the medical team from East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), he will be joined by his family.

Paramedic Ben King said: "April did amazing CPR, which resulted in Chris's heart being in a shockable rhythm when we got to the scene.

"After five shocks from the defibrillator, we managed to get Chris's heart beating again."

Five months on, Mr Handley said things were "back to normal".