Colleagues help save man's life after suffers heart attack in Spennymoor store's car park

Well done to quick-thinking colleagues Joe Kelly and Avril Tallentire from our Spennymoor store who went to the aid of an 83-year-old customer who'd suffered a heart attack in our car park.

First-aider Avril grabbed a defibrillator and ran out to the man, who was given CPR by an off-duty nurse.

Online trading manager Joe sprinted to the doctor's surgery next to the store and found a paramedic who came out with a trolley-load of equipment including oxygen.

The regular customer, who was out shopping with his wife, was taken to Durham hospital where he is still recovering. He is due to get a pacemaker fitted soon.

His son, who asked for his family not to be named, has praised everyone who was involved in saving his dad's life.

He said: "They are all angels. He wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for them. We cannot thank them enough.”

Fifty-year-old Avril, who's worked at the store for 12 years, said instinct took over when a taxi driver ran into the store and asked for a first aider.

She said: "He said that a man had collapsed in the car park. The taxi driver was on the phone to the ambulance service so I took it off him and spoke to them while I grabbed the defibrillator.

"There was another lady, a nurse, who was doing CPR and I put the defibrillator pads on him in case we needed to use them, but he didn't need to be shocked in the end.

“I just got on with it. This is the first time I’ve had to do a thing like this in the four years I’ve been a first aider and instinct just took over. I knelt on the floor with the gentleman and kept talking to him until paramedics came and took over.

“Colleagues got his wife a seat and a cup of tea as she was obviously upset.

“I’m just glad that he is recovering and I was able to help”

Joe, who’s 23, said: “I was next to Avril when the man came in saying a customer had collapsed. Avril just grabbed the defibrillator and I ran to the doctor’s surgery which is right next to the store. Luckily there was an advanced paramedic there who came out with a trolley loads of equipment including oxygen.

“Avril was great. She was very calm and the whole store is proud of her. We are just all glad the customer is recovering.”