Pensioner thanks the Hucknall people who saved his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest

Michael Pounder, aged 80, from Nuthall, was in Hucknall on November 10 for a dental appointment when he suddenly collapsed on Station Road.

His wife Ann, aged 78, who had gone to the nearby Tesco store to do some shopping, recalled: “I got back to the car after doing some shopping and he wasn’t there and I thought it was stange because he’d only gone for a check-up.

"I walked round to the dentist on Portland Road and on the way I passed this grassy area that was all taped off with a police officer standing there and I thought nothing of it, not knowing it was because of Michael.

"The dentist told me Michael hadn’t turned up for his appointment so I went back to see the police scene and told them I was his wife.

"Apparently, the police had been to our house looking for us and when I told the police who I was, they said there’d been a medical incident and they would blue-light me to City Hospital.”

By then, Michael’s life had already been saved by the actions of local Hucknall passers-by, two of whom, a man and a woman, had performed CPR on him.

The first person to reach him was 40-year-old David Needham, who had been on his way to Tesco from his home on Willow Drive.

He said: “He (Michael) was walking up the road and he started to wobble, so I asked him if he was okay.

"Then he fell on the grass on his face, so I ran over to him and he was breathing very fast.

"Then a lady stopped and said she was medically trained and then another man stopped too.

"The woman said he had stopped breathing, so both she and the man did CPR and I called 999.

"Then the ambulance turned up, along with a rapid response car, and they took over and got him breathing again.

"The police arrived too and took all our details.

"It was a very scary day but I am happy he is okay.

“Someone messaged me about it the next day said it was their friend’s dad and he just wanted to say thanks.

"I just did what I hope most people would do for someone that needed help.”

Ann continued: “Michael had no history of heart trouble – he actually felt the one thing that was okay with him was his heart, so this came as a bit of shock.

"But I’m so grateful to those people who stopped to help him – there’s no doubt they saved his life.”

Michael has now had a difibrilator fitted in his chest and he is now back home and doing well.

Ann added: “I just want to thank so much all those people who helped him, the people who did the CPR and called the ambulance and thank to the ambulance people and the people at the hospital too, I’m so grateful to them all.”

Were you the man or woman who performed the life-saving CPR? We would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with us on 07740 444371 or email [email protected]