'My heart stopped in the pool'

Emma Wilkinson
Health reporter, BBC News

Terry Blake centre with the lifeguards and paramedics who saved him

A nationwide scheme to place defibrillators in public places such as leisure centres and airports has been a great success according to researchers at Cardiff University.

Terry Blake, aged 71, from Romford in Essex would be among the first to agree.

Without the British Heart Foundation funded defibrillator at his local pool, he would not be here.

In 2006 he suffered a cardiac arrest while he was swimming.

Fortunately his colleagues at the Brentwood Selo Sub Aqua Club sprang into action.

"I'd done about 20 lengths and apparently I pushed off from the side, swam a few metres and then just stopped and started to sink.

"I wasn't moving so my friend pulled me out of the pool.

"She said my lips were blue so she started mouth to mouth."

Without that defibrillator I would have died - they should be in all public places

The lifeguards at the pool started CPR on Terry straightaway while the pool manager ran to get the defibrillator.

They managed to shock him within a couple of minutes of his cardiac arrest.

"My wife was at the pool and when she came over and saw me she fainted so they were working on both of us at the same time," he said.

"The ambulance arrived and took me to hospital and when I was in the ambulance I moved my finger. That's when they said 'we've got him back'."

Surgery

Terry was unconscious in intensive care for a couple of days before being moved to a cardiac ward for six weeks.

He ended up having a heart bypass operation.

Although he had known he had a blocked artery, he was healthy and swam 100 lengths three times a week.

"I've spoken to the cardiologist and he says he doesn't know why I had a cardiac arrest."

Terry, who is back to swimming a couple of times a week, and his wife Pat say they are very lucky.

"It makes you want to enjoy every day - believe me it comes home to you.

"Without that defibrillator I would have died - they should be in all public places."