A FORMER teacher from Somerset has been reunited with the ‘angels’ who saved his life when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a hedgelaying event.

Pete Baker, 58, considered himself to be fighting fit – no major health problems and only four days off sick in his whole teaching career – but he collapsed suddenly on Saturday November 26, 2016.

"There was no pain," said Mr Baker, who retired from his job at Brymore School three years ago. 

"I was working away on my section of hedge one moment and the next thing I knew was when I woke up in intensive care."

It was 18 hours later, when Pete found himself in Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital, where he had three stents fitted to open a blocked coronary artery.

Fortunately, Pete was given first aid as soon as he collapsed in the Cothelstone Show Field, thanks to his neighbouring hedgelayer, Dave Brackley, who knew how to give CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and sent for help.

And St John Ambulance volunteers Jon Warren and Alan Brazier were swiftly on scene, equipped with a portable defibrillator that delivered a life saving shock to restart Pete’s heart.

Meeting Jon and Alan at the charity’s HQ in Bridgwater, last week, Mr Baker said: "I own some woodland on the Quantock Hills and spend a lot of time working alone in quite isolated areas, so I feel incredibly lucky to have fallen ill where and when I did – it’s definitely a case of right place, with the right people around.

"I reckon the fact I’ve survived this is my dividend for having taken on the role of church warden for the last three years.

"I have a new concept of angels now. And it’s these guys from St John Ambulance, plus the NHS crews that took over later, along with the air ambulance team.

"I am also grateful l to have received such brilliant care from the NHS consultants, technicians and nurses."

Jon and Alan were delighted to see that Pete has made such an excellent recovery, facilitated by Musgrove’s Cardiac Unit team and rehabilitation nurses.

"It had been a very uneventful first aid duty for us,’ said Alan, who manages the St John Ambulance volunteers in Minehead. 

"Someone had come to us with a splinter and we thought that might be it for the day – then we were told Pete had collapsed.’

Jon, who volunteers in Bridgwater, picks up the story: "Initially, we were told Pete might have collapsed due to a low blood sugar moment, but it quickly became clear that he wasn’t breathing and it was something far more serious.

"It was brilliant that Dave had started giving CPR – those chest compressions and rescue breaths were vital to giving Pete the best possible chance of survival – but a scenario like this demonstrates how important having a defibrillator is to saving someone’s life when they go into cardiac arrest.

"This is what we’re trained for and why we provide first aid cover for events like this.

"As Pete says, it’s a case of 'right place, with the right people around' and I’m just happy Alan and I were on duty that day."

For more information on St John Ambulance’s work, including how to become a volunteer and details of training for the public, schools and businesses, visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 104950.