Martin owes his life to AED staff

Quick-thinking staff at the centre ensured he survived by using a defibrillator to revive his heartbeat before an ambulance arrived.

He said: “We had only been playing for five minutes when apparently I collapsed, which I don’t remember doing. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed with various wires attached to me and my family around.”

“They told me I had had a sudden cardiac arrest and fortunately for me, the sports centre staff were called and used the defib on me within three minutes of me collapsing.

“Even more fortunately for me, the staff had received one of their regular training sessions on how to use a defib that very morning. How lucky for me was that?”

The sports centre staff were commended by Yorkshire Ambulance Service, which handed them a Lifesaving Achievement Award. Martin, of Bents Green, spent two weeks in hospital and had two stents fitted, but has been back at work since. A charity walk he did with friends and family raised enough money to buy five defibrillators for the community.