Eastbourne man thanks life-saving team

An Eastbourne man who suffered a cardiac arrest has been reunited with some of the ambulance team who helped save his life.

Scott Saunders says he was working for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service as an officer when he went out running in June 2019 with his then 9-year-old daughter Poppy:

“I was reasonably healthy 48 year old man with a busy job, two beautiful young daughters, a lovely house and a really good job that I was proud of.”

“I thought my life was right on track, where I should be, and I was just preparing to go out for a run.”

As Scott reached the bottom of his road, he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.

His daughter reacted instinctively, screaming loudly, which raised the alarm and alerted neighbours to the situation, before putting her father on his back.

One of the neighbours who became aware of the emergency was Dan Byrne.

Dan called an ambulance and began delivering CPR under instruction down the phone from Emergency Medical Advisor Eleanor Smith.

Scott says his neighbours actions played a crucial role in his survival:

“Dan at that time didn't know how to do CPR, so it was really beholden to the ambulance operator to explain over the phone.”

“You can imagine holding your phone at a scene dealing with somebody who's lifeless and trying to listen to what's going on, on a busy main road, really trying to take instruction and follow it to the letter, which is exactly what he did.”

Dan was supported by another bystander, called Mark Whitfield.

The actions of Poppy, Dan and Mark kept Scott alive until paramedics rushed to the scene.

When SECAmb colleagues Jodie Stewart, Ian le Page, Mark Northcott, Kiya Claydon and Martin Hall arrived, Scott was successfully resuscitated and treated before being taken to the nearby Eastbourne District General Hospital.

Despite a sometimes-challenging road to recovery since, Scott is in no doubt that the actions of all those involved saved his life.

He said the first time he saw neighbour Dan after the incident was an incredible moment:

“He drove down the road and he looked at me and smiled, and I didn't know who he was.”

“He pulled over and I thought, oh, my God, who's this guy? What's what does he want, you know?”

“He came over and introduced himself, and at that point, I broke down in tears and gave the guy a hug, and said thank you.”

“Thanks never goes far enough, but he doesn't want anything for it, and he's just he's just happy that he can make a difference, what a bloke!”

Recently, Scott was also pleased to meet and thank EMA, Eleanor, and paramedics Jodie and Mark at South East Coast Ambulance Service’s Polegate Make Ready Centre.

“It’s been a really tough few years but it was amazing to have had the chance to say thank you in person. I and my family are so grateful.”

“Things could have been so different, and for me, the team are superhuman.”

Having now overcome several obstacles and made a good recovery, Scott is passionate about raising awareness of the importance of CPR training:

“I think it's a fundamental life skill and that it should form part of the school curriculum.”

“It is such an amazing skill to have, the likelihood that you'll ever use it is probably very slim, but the difference you can make by knowing that skill and intervening as early as possible is priceless.”

Scott is also keen to develop new life saving strategies, such as installing defibrillators on buses, and is keen to speak to anyone in the Eastbourne and East Sussex areas interested in exploring the idea more.