A member of Lincolnshire Police force has been reunited with the emergency service colleagues who saved his life when he went into cardiac arrest.
Ian Porter, 63, Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) from Louth Police Station, asked his partner, Rita, to ring NHS111 when he began suffering chest pains at his home in Manby and later went into cardiac arrest in the back of the ambulance.
Thanks to the life-saving skills of our paramedics and Community First Responders, they managed to resuscitate Ian and he is now on the road to recovery and back on duty with the help of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team from Lincolnshire Community Health Service. Today he has been reunited with the heroes who saved his life and enabled him to return to protecting his community.
On 23 May Ian returned home from work and started to feel unwell, recognising symptoms that may have been cardiac related, wife, Rita, rang NHS111 but the call was soon escalated and passed over to our 999 control room.
LIVES responders Dan Jaines and Asa Blackburn were first on scene, followed by Paramedic John Cannon and ambulance crew Katie Best and Josh Oliver.
Our crews assessed Ian and decided he needed admitting to Lincoln County Hospital Coronary Care Unit (CCU), but as Katie and Josh started transporting him and partner Rita, Ian went into cardiac arrest in the back of the ambulance. With Josh driving, Katie started CPR and defibrillation on Ian and was able to save his life. Katie shocked Ian seven times on the way to hospital.
Ian said he owes his life to everybody who attended him that day and no amount of biscuits and cake will be enough.
“Katie and Josh were truly wonderful and we will be forever beholden to them for giving me a second chance to be with my family.
“When you work on the frontline with your emergency services colleagues you often detach yourself from the situation you are dealing with and work in a professional manner, when I was the patient I was equally grateful for that professional attitude.”
Katie said: “It has been great to meet Ian and to know he is doing well. We don’t often get to see what happens to a patient once we have arrived at A&E so to see an outcome and patient doing so well is amazing.”
Ian was today reunited with Paramedic Katie, LIVES responders Dan and Asa and the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team from Lincolnshire Community Health Services at Louth Fire Station.