COUNTY NEWS: Cyclist saved by two urges others to get life-saving training
Josh Lancaster, from Findon Valley in Worthing, was cycling to work on March 5 last year when he collapsed in the middle of a road in the town.
It was caused by an inherited heart condition Josh has called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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Hide Ad“A lot of people don’t know they have it until something like this happens, and it is better to be prepared than be clueless,” Josh said.
Gill Hobden, 50, a neonatal nurse at Worthing Hospital of Rugby Road, Worthing, and Trevor Peters, 50, a network engineer of The Green, Storrington, were passing when Josh collapsed and performed the first aid which saved his life.
They have received bravery awards from the Royal Humane Society, a charity that grants awards for acts of bravery in the saving of human life – after a recommendation from Josh’s dad, Tony.
Trevor had been driving his wife into town when he spotted Josh collapsed in the middle of the road.
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Hide AdHe said: “Cars were just driving around him – I could see he was in a bad stuation and was getting progessively worse so I gave him mouth-to-mouth CPR and this is when Gill ran over and started giving him chest compressions.
“It made me realise that the first aid training I had was not a waste of time. The whole time I kept questioning if I was doing the right thing but I am glad I did something – if not who knows what might have happened.”
Gill had been walking her daughter to work at the time.
She said: “He was unresponsive so I knew what I needed to do.”
The pair said they were ‘proud’ to receive the awards and reiterated the importance of first aid.
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Hide AdTrevor said: “Companies nominate first aiders but usually this is only two people – they should force more people to train.”
A former keen cyclist, the 31-year-old controlled the heart condition with medication which he said has now had an ‘adverse effect’ on his life.
He said: “It is very difficult now and I am not able to do anything strenuous.”
But he has now had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator fitted which he hopes will allow him to return to the sport.
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Hide Ad“I am very thankful to Gill and Trevor – it takes a special person to stop and do something,” he added.
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