Customer thanks security guard Jacob for 'saving his life' by taking him to hospital

Asda customer David Williamson has thanked security colleague Jacob Roberts for "saving his life" by driving him to hospital when he started to have chest pains in our Barnes Hill store in Birmingham.

Fifty-nine-year-old David, who'd previously had a cardiac arrest and four small heart attacks, had gone into the store at about 9.20pm to buy aspirin but he fell to the floor in pain.

Jacob, who's 41, found David slumped on the ground and immediately called 999. He was told that they couldn't give an estimated time for an ambulance to attend, so decided to make the three-mile trip to the hospital in his own car.

He said: "I just felt at the time that I needed to do something as soon as possible in case he worsened so one of my colleagues got David a wheelchair and I brought my car round to the front of the store and I drove him to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

"I was talking to him on the way – just rubbish really – to make sure he didn't go to sleep. When we got to the hospital, I took him to A&E and handed him over to the doctors and nurses. I'm just glad that I helped and that he's okay."

David, from Sidcup, was in Birmingham to organise a charity dinner dance for NHS Together. He told BirminghamLive about Jacob's actions – their Facebook post about him has had more than 2,000 reactions, comments and shares with lots of people saying well done to Jacob.

David told BirminghamLive: "I may have died if it wasn't for the security guard's actions and staff members of Asda Barnes Hill. I could not praise them enough. Jacob was fantastic – calm and very relaxed.

"After leaving friends in the Barnes Hill area of city, I developed severe chest pains which did not get better, so I went to Asda at Barnes Hill to purchase some aspirin. These did not help me and I deteriorated on the floor.

"Security and staff members called an ambulance only to be told that there was a long wait and were concerned for my safety. I was assisted by staff in to wheelchair and security guard took me in his car to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Immediately he was assisted by the doctor and nurse who took me to a room, but swiftly moved me to cubicle 1 in resuscitation department."

Store manager Phil Marsh has nominated Jacob for an Asda service superstar award for his quick thinking.

He said: "We are so proud of Jacob. In an act of true heroics, he went the extra mile and made sure that this customer received the medical attention they needed."