21-year-old customer thanks Asda Arrowe Park 'angels' who came to her rescue

Twenty-one-year-old customer Beth Gillson says colleagues at our Arrowe Park store are "angels sent from heaven" after coming to the rescue when she collapsed with severe chest pains while she was shopping.

Beth, who works as a nursery practitioner, had just popped into the store on her lunch break when she suddenly felt ill.

Security colleague Paul Ford stopped her from falling and got her a chair, then together with first-aider Jo McKenna made Beth comfortable and reassured her while an ambulance was called.

Community champion Ian Grant rushed to get a defibrillator in case it was needed, before colleagues decided to take her by car the five minutes to the Accident & Emergency Department at nearby Arrowe Park Hospital.

Store manager Mark Hughes drove while cash office colleague Dawn Roberts sat in the back seat with Beth. Dawn then stayed at the hospital with her until Beth's mum, Michelle, arrived.

Paul, who's worked at the store for 16 years, said: "I'd just helped an elderly lady with her shopping and was just coming back into the foyer when I spotted Beth clutching her heart like she was having a heart attack and looked like she was going to faint. I managed to catch her from falling on the floor and got her a chair.

"She was very scared, bless her. We just kept talking to her to keep her awake. When we were told it would take about 40 minutes for an ambulance we decided to take her by car to the hospital. We just had to get her there; there was no hesitation. She was in a bad way, and it was really worrying. It was heartbreaking to see.

"It was a team effort, everyone played their part. I'm just glad she's okay now. She's been back in the store since to thank everyone."

Back office colleague Dawn, who's worked for Asda for 41 years, said: "I just made sure Beth was comfortable, safe and calm. She was really distressed and confused.

"When we got to hospital I asked for a wheelchair for her and said to reception that we had a possible heart attack and they rushed her straight through to one of the cubicles. I went with her, I wouldn't leave her. I stayed for about half an hour until her mum came."

Beth said: "I don’t particularly remember driving to the store but once I was there, as I went to leave, I couldn't move. I was frozen in the doorway until Paul came over and caught me before I collapsed.

"I had a very agonising chest pain which caused me to blackout. When I came round I was shaking from head to toe, I was grey and cold to the touch and my bpm was 189.

"Paul was reassuring the entire time, making sure I was calm and and safe as possible – a true hero. The whole team were incredible. They went above and beyond to ensure my health was their top priority."

Beth had various tests done at the hospital including an ECG and chest X-ray. She said: "Everything came back fine; it may have been a heart murmur. Thankfully, I'm ok now. I went back into the store and I saw Paul and he said it was lovely to see me standing. He is such a great man with a heart of gold."

She also posted on a local Facebook page to say: "I would like to publicly thank them for saving my life. Angels sent from heaven, true heroes. I can't thank them enough."