A Weymouth dad has met a South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) emergency response team who saved his life when he had a cardiac arrest.

Pat Moss, 56, was at home on Easter Sunday when his heart suddenly stopped beating.

His wife, Anne, heard him gasping for air and called 999. With guidance from SWASFT Control Room staff and assisted by her daughter Lauren, Anne carried out vital chest compressions to keep Pat alive.

At a special event in Weymouth on Thursday 23 August, Pat met the SWASFT team who managed to restart his heart.

“It came totally out of the blue,” he said. “I was dead and gone. Without the caller handler, paramedics and hospital staff, I wouldn’t be here. I’m chuffed with all the care I received. It’s amazing to still be alive.”

The former Royal Navy chief petty officer was relaxing on the sofa when he experienced breathing difficulties.

He became unresponsive, and blood was seen coming from his mouth.

Anne said: “Our chilled-out Sunday turned into a nightmare. But the ambulance staff were absolutely amazing. We’re so thankful to them.”

SWASFT Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Tracy Guilfoyle, assessed Pat’s condition through a phone conversation with the family. Tracy then instructed Anne and Lauren to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to give Pat the best chance of survival.

SWASFT Paramedic, Nigel Cowan, Emergency Care Assistant, Joanne Brown, and St John Ambulance volunteer Community First Responder, Jon Ashworth, arrived within seven minutes. They were supported by SWASFT Paramedic, Ennio Tabone; Emergency Care Assistant, Allan Rodd; and Specialist Paramedic, Jim Bradley.

The crews provided lifesaving support, including defibrillation, to get his heart beating again.

Patrick was driven by ambulance to Dorset County Hospital where he remained for six weeks. He has gone on to make a fantastic recovery, and has now returned to work.

Jeff Jones, West Dorset Operations Officer and Weymouth station officer, said: “I am delighted for Pat and his family, that Pat has made such a good recovery. This is part due to early and effective CPR carried out by his wife Anne, and a prompt and rapid intervention by SWASFT staff performing advanced life support, to complete the chain of survival. Pat’s incident highlights that with more people trained and confident to perform CPR, the better the chances of survival.”

A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body.

Some 30,000 people are treated for cardiac arrests in the UK every year.

Just 9% survive an out-of-hospital arrest, but their chances increase significantly when CPR is administered early and a defibrillator is used.

A cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. If you suspect someone is having a cardiac arrest: call 999 immediately, begin CPR, and use a public access defibrillator if one is available.

Listen to the 999 call made: