A pensioner’s life was saved by hero Ayrshire workers after he suffered a massive heart attack while at the wheel.
The 89-year-old man was described as ‘lifeless’ when he was hauled out of his motor which had ploughed into a parked car and a wall on Harbour Road, Troon last month.
But he was brought back from the brink when a telecom worker and staff from a nearby sawmill used an on-site defibrillator to restart his failing heart.
The dramatic incident unfolded at around 11am Tuesday, November 8.
Quick-thinking David Charles, 37, Morrison Telecom Services contractor was working on a project in the area when he and his colleague Fergus Sharp, 21, heard a loud bang and saw the motor careering along the road.
David, a dad-of-three from Greenock, raced towards the scene to find a man unconscious at the wheel of his car which had battered against a wall.
The first aid-trained worker immediately spotted workers at nearby Sawmill Glennon Brothers and shouted to ask if they had a defibrillator. As Fergus from Motherwell phoned for an ambulance.
David told Ayrshire Live: “Me and my colleague Fergus were in the area working. It was our first day on the job together.
“We turned round to see the old man was unconscious in his car but it was still moving. It had banged into a parked car and then hit a wall, and came to a stop.
“I saw him from a distance. He was about 100m down the street.
“I seen the guys from Glennon Brothers were out on a break.
“I knew from my training that the guy was going to need urgent medical help. I asked if they had a defibrillator on site.
“I then grabbed the old man out of the car under orders from a 999 call handler over the phone and I carried out CPR.
“Moments later the Glennon Brothers workers rushed over and we got the defibrillator on him.”
The man was given three shocks of the defibrillator before police and mercy crews arrived to take over.
An air ambulance and trauma support unit were drafted to the scene as they raced to stabilise the man.
David is fully trained in first aid but never imagined having a situation to carry out his life saving skills.
He said: “I’ve never had a situation where it’s been a matter of life and death.
“The man was white and grey, he was fighting for his life.”
Emergency crews at the scene praised the workers for their quick thinking and were told if it wasn’t for the defibrillator he would never have survived.
The man was rushed to Hairmyres hospital in East Kilbride where it is understood he recovered after being placed in an induced coma at the scene.
Glennon Brothers have heaped praise on staff members Billy Lindsay, 58, from Kilmarnock and Callum Capstick, 18, from Maybole.
Bosses at the Sawmill firm saluted the hero workers who rushed out with the defibrillator.
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A spokesperson for Glennon said: “It’s an incredible thing what these guys have done.
“This was the first time we’ve had to use our defibrillator and hopefully it is the last.
“But it just shows how important this life saving equipment can be.
“It was such a brave thing that they done. We’re very proud of them.
“It just shows how vital defibrillators are.”
Liam Reid, head of direct labour (Scotland) for Morrison Telecom Services, said: “We are all very proud of David and Fergus for their response to this incident.
"All our people are trained in first aid as part of our commitment to safety and their quick thinking and life-saving action is a real credit to them.
"Our thoughts are with the man who was taken ill and his family.”
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