Neighbour nominates local lifesaver for award

Barbara Johnson has nominated her neighbour Tom Bonny for the BBC Sussex Radio Community Heroes Good Neighbour Award.

She said: "I really wouldn’t be here today without Tom, he saved my life.”

After having a nasty fall down her stairs, Barbara was left unconscious and bleeding heavily from a head wound. Her dog Reggie was barking and banging on the door erratically, trying

to alert her lodger. Tom and Keri (partner of Tom) next door instinctively knew something was wrong by the way he was barking and ran over to see what was wrong.

“Whilst on the phone to the ambulance service, they could hear my breathing wasn’t right as my head had gone so far down into my own body that my airways were restricted and I had stopped breathing," she said. “I basically died.”

Thankfully, Tom had first aid training from his time spent as a sea skipper and immediately started to perform CPR. He managed to keep this up until the ambulance staff arrived and

took Barbara to hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

“Had it not been for my dog and Tom I would not be here now. My family would be going to my funeral,” Barbara, who is a keyworker, said. “I can’t thank him enough.”

And it isn't the first time Tom has saved a life.

His dad Clive Bonny said: "I was walking with him when he suddenly swam out to sea through thick coastal seaweed in Menorca to save a drowning woman.

“I'm delighted for Barbara as she is a key worker herself and has saved two lives. Karma works in Woodingdean."

Tom has also helped the local community by buying and building a 100ft fence to help keep all their gardens secure. He also helped to regenerate some of their local wildlife, as well as,

adopting rescue cats in the local area.

“Tom is very close with a gentleman down the road named Ken who lives on his own, who he initially met through a befriending charity group,” Barbara added. “Due to underlying health

conditions, they’ve both been isolating and both of them hadn’t had much contact with others during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s been amazing to see Tom still bringing the community together during these tough times.”