BACK at work as manager of Williton’s busy petrol service station, 59-year-old Les Woodward is celebrating what was medically a return from the dead – thanks to the instant reaction of two specially-trained firefighters.

Three months after being rushed by helicopter to Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital after a major heart attack, Les said his full recovery was largely due to the efforts of Williton station commander Garry Austin-Thompson and firefighter Guy Denton.

They are co-responders trained in medical emergencies and arrived at his home in Townsend Road minutes before the ambulance.

“I was unconscious and had stopped breathing,” Les said. “If the firefighters hadn’t done what they did I wouldn’t be here today.

“My wife Denise, who is trained in first aid, played a vital role too.

“I’m so grateful that when I was out of it, no one panicked and knew exactly what to do.”

Williton firefighters first volunteered to do co-responding in 2005 and last year were called out more than 500 times to medical emergencies like cardiac arrests, strokes and breathing difficulties, taking control until ambulances arrived.

Les had returned home early on a Sunday morning after supervising a petrol delivery when he suddenly became ill.

“He just keeled over without warning,” Denise said. “I had done first aid with the St John Ambulance and as a Brownie Guider at Washford so I knew how to do CPR.

“I rang 999 and had started to work on Les when the firefighters arrived and then an ambulance and finally a helicopter.

“The house was full of men – I think there were seven at one time – but I was so grateful to have such calm and skilled back-up.”

Garry Austin-Thompson said that when he and Guy Denton arrived, Les had stopped breathing and didn’t have a sustainable heart-beat.

“Before the ambulance arrived we had carried out CPR, shocked his heart four times and got him to the stage where he could breathe for himself,” he said.

“We carried out heart compressions until paramedics arrived and stayed on the scene another 30 minutes helping to stabilise Les until he was airlifted to hospital.

“We really feared the worst. On Sunday it was feared he wouldn’t live and on Monday we were told there could be brain damage.

“But he has made an amazing recovery and a lot of that must be due to what the firefighters did.

“They say the first few minutes are the most critical when it comes to recovery.”

Les, who was in a medically-induced coma for nearly four days, said he doesn’t remember anything about his ordeal.

“Denise told me that the fire crew had arrived even before she had finished her 999 call,” he said.

“I still have very tender ribs from the amount of pounding they took from the CPR but I am so grateful for the work they did.

“In the past I have often seen firefighters pass the garage and thought nothing of it - now it makes me remember just how lucky I am.”