Emotional reunion sees great-grandfather meet his life-savers

A great-grandfather has been reunited with his life-savers after he suffered a cardiac arrest in a Cambridgeshire shopping centre.

George Board’s last memory of 14th November was walking into Queensgate Shopping Centre in Peterborough where a short while later he collapsed.

The 85-year-old had an emotional reunion this week (9th February) with Paramedic Christopher Jenner and Student Paramedic Alistair Findlater, who were part of the team that saved his life.

The retired telecommunications engineer said thank you to the duo, as well as Customer Services Officer Chris Steels and Assistant Manager Terry Alton from the shopping centre - first aiders whose quick thinking helped start his heart beating again.

George, who lives in Longthorpe, Peterborough, said he owed the team his life when he collapsed outside Warren James jewellers.

Terry and Chris performed CPR and used the shopping centre’s defibrillator to shock his heart back into beating again before the arrival of Christopher and Alistair, who expertly took over and got George to Peterborough City Hospital.

George, who has since had a stent inserted into one of his arteries to improve blood flow to the heart, was discharged from hospital just seven days after suffering his arrest.

He said it was “fantastic” to meet his lifesavers.

“I remember getting up in the morning and walking to the shops. It was raining and I was drenched and I remember getting into the side door and thinking I was glad to be in the dry and after that I could not remember anything. When I came around two days later, I wondered what all the fuss was about!”

Christopher, who has been a paramedic for 13 years, said: “It is quite humbling to meet him again and it is good to see he is doing well. That is what it is all about and that is what we are trained to do.

“It makes a great difference to have a defibrillator at the scene and someone doing CPR.”

Queensgate Shopping Centre bought its current device five years ago. The Trust is placing 1,000 new defibrillators across the east of England by the end of March – read more about how you can get involved here.