Conwy man saved by defibrillator he helped raise money for

Community first responder David White, pictured left, saved David Pryde's life using a defibrillator

A man who had a cardiac arrest at home was saved by a defibrillator he had helped raise money for years before.

David Pryde, 78, became unwell at his home in Llanfairfechan, Conwy county, on 28 April, and asked his wife Falmai to call an ambulance.

Mr Pryde had a cardiac arrest after community first responder David White, from nearby Gyffin, had arrived.

The device used to save Mr Pryde's life had been donated by the Freemasons' lodge he is a member of.

Mr White said Mr Pryde was "presenting quite well" when he arrived.

But while he was on the the phone to a doctor in the control room, grandfather Mr Pryde took a turn for the worse.

'Bolt upright rigid'

"He went bolt upright rigid and his arms came to his chest - he was in cardiac arrest," he recalled.

"I got him safely down to the floor and began CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation]. I put the pads of the defibrillator on his chest and shocked him once.

"The rest, as they say, is history. The ambulance crew arrived and I'd managed to get him back."

Retired banker Mr Pryde was treated at Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd and has had a pacemaker and implantable defibrillator fitted.

Mr Pryde says Mr White was "the right person in the right place at the right time"

Man saved by defibrillator he raised money for

"I am so grateful that David was there and have met with him since to thank him personally," he said.

"He was the right person in the right place at the right time.

"Without his expert knowledge it would have been a very different story."

Mr White, a volunteer with 14 years of experience as a first responder, said Mr Pryde was the third person whose life he had saved using the defibrillator, including a 16-year-old boy.

Mr White says his defibrillator is "a good friend to me"

"It's a good friend to me and I'm rather fond of it," he added.

Glyn Thomas of the Welsh Ambulance Service congratulated Mr White for his "calmness, skill and dedication in that stressful situation".

• WEATHERMAN WALKING: Explore some of the most spectacular scenery that Wales has to offer

• X-RAY IS BACK: The Welsh consumer show fighting for YOUR rights