West Sussex paramedics saved grandfather's life after his heart stopped three times - 'They’re angels, all of them'

Derek Everett, 86, was at home in Wick, with wife Pamela – on Wednesday, October 19 – when he suddenly felt dizzy.

“Next thing I know was lying on the floor,” Derek said. “I hit the fridge and knocked it back a few inches.

"I don’t remember anything else.”

Pamela called 999 before asking her next-door neighbour to help Derek into a comfortable position. Within 20 minutes, paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) arrived.

Derek, whose heart had stopped during the incident, said: “They gave me a couple of injections and said I had a heart block. They got my heart pumping again.”

Pamela said Derek was taken away in an ambulance, ‘where his heart stopped again’ – and then a third time on the way to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Derek spent three days in hospital after being rushed into theatre for a temporary pacemaker.

Derek is now at home recovering with a permanent pacemaker and he said ‘everything seems fine’.

On the people who saved his life, Derek said: “Everyone was wonderful. They don’t get the credit.

“They are absolutely wonderful. I can’t fault a thing they’ve done. They’re angels, all of them. I thank everybody involved.”

Pamela said all the treatment her husband received from ambulance and nursing staff was ‘marvellous’, adding: “I cannot praise them enough.

“There is so much angry talk of the NHS and the time ambulances take to get to patients, but I would like to thank them.

"If it wasn’t for our wonderful NHS I may not have my husband today.”

SECAmb said it was ‘delighted to hear’ that Derek is now recovering at home and ‘thank him and his wife for his kind words’.

A spokesperson added: “We are extremely proud of the care our staff provide day-in, day-out and of how hard each and every one of them work to respond to patients.

"We wish Mr Everett all the very best with his continuing recovery.”

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