First responder reunites with team who saved him

A first responder who went into cardiac arrest while watching a film at a cinema has been reunited with the team who saved his life.

Peter Blount, 77, collapsed at the Regal Cinema in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, in January as he watched period drama parody Fackham Hall with wife Lesley.

Lesley was the first to give CPR before community responders and volunteers took over and used a nearby defibrillator to revive him.

Five months later, Peter reunited with East Midlands Ambulance Service crew and volunteers to thank them.

"I don't remember anything from three o'clock in the afternoon through to nine o'clock the next morning, but I'm alive today because the people around me responded immediately and knew what to do," Peter said.

Lesley said she went into autopilot.

"I don't think I felt much emotion until it was all over," she said.

"I saw him go down and I was standing beside him. The colour of his face turned pretty black, and when I couldn't revive him just by speaking or touching him, I realised what had happened, so I just got on with it.

"There was a doctor who offered to help and a young firefighter who worked his socks off to save him.

"People say it must have been a tough time, but I'm walking on air because Peter is alive. I don't even tell him off when he makes a mess in the kitchen!"

Community first responders Tim Frisby and Jonny McGrady arrived to assist Peter and praised the CPR given by Lesley and volunteers.

Frisby was in the middle of his weekly shop when he received the call-out.

"I was doing my shopping when I got the initial call, but in your brain you go 'I hope somebody's doing CPR before I get there' because that gives us the greatest chance.

"As a first responder, you're part of a process, if any part of that process breaks, we don't have a positive outcome.

"The positive outcome here was that Peter was getting good quality basic life support from the moment he collapsed, firstly from his wife and then from a retained firefighter. That just shows the difference.

"Of the positive arrests I've been involved with over the years, all of them have come about because somebody has gone: 'I know what to do, I'm willing to have a go', and they've started basic life support before our arrival."

Peter is recovering well and wants to use his experience to highlight the importance of learning CPR and to encourage others to become first responders.

"I'm not lucky to be alive, I'm privileged to be alive, because those people had the skills and the compassion to do something," he said.

"I owe everyone involved a big thank you. My message to anybody else is to just learn CPR.

"It's not difficult. It takes less than an hour to learn CPR and to familiarise yourself with a defibrillator. They have one at the cinema now.

"That's what we want to encourage people to do across the country."

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