A man from Cuxton, Kent, who collapsed in cardiac arrest while at his home has been reunited with the team of ambulance service colleagues who helped to save his life.

Innes Clark, 53, was at home with his wife Jakki and daughter Izzy on the morning of 12 August 2023, when he started to experience chest pain. Jakki immediately called 999, and while on the phone to Emergency Medical Adviser, Natalie Burrows, Innes collapsed.

Natalie quickly identified that Innes was in cardiac arrest following Jakki’s descriptions and instructed her on how to perform CPR. Resource Dispatcher, Rosie Shale, dispatched the crews who arrived on scene shortly after.

Within five minutes, Trainee Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Diana Parker, Paramedics, Karen Rustage and Chelsea Trotter, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Charlotte Speers, Emergency Care Support Worker, Jesse Blackford, and Critical Care Paramedic, Kieren Pugh, were on scene.

The team administered two shocks with a defibrillator and were able to achieve a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

The Air Ambulance Charity Kent, Surrey, Sussex, joined crews on scene, as well as Acting Operational Commander, Kate Foster, before Innes was transported by road to the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) centre at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

Innes spent a week in William Harvey Hospital, where he developed compartment syndrome, an increase in pressure inside a muscle which restricts blood flow and causes severe pain. He was subsequently transferred to The Kent & Canterbury Hospital for an emergency fasciotomy on his left lower leg to relieve the pressure.

Innes then returned to William Harvey Hospital where he was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and left hospital a week later.

Recently, Innes and Jakki visited South East Coast Ambulance Service’s (SECAmb) Make Ready Centre in Medway where they were able to meet the ambulance service colleagues and together, shed some light into their response to Innes’ collapse.

As part of the reunion, Innes and Jakki also enjoyed a tour of the Emergency Operations Centre based in Medway, where they were able to see where calls are taken, ambulances are dispatched and learn more about the journey from when someone dials 999, to a crew arriving at the scene.

Since the incident, Innes has spent the past year under the care of the Tissue Viability & Wound Therapy in Medway, which he visits twice a week for cleaning and dressing changes.

Innes has also since been an advocate for ensuring defibrillators are accessible and has since campaigned to get three in his workplace. Innes and Jakki will also be coming back to the Medway Make Ready Centre in the coming months to undertake CPR training with Ambulance Paramedic, Chris Treeves, and a team of local Community First Responders.

Innes said: “It was a great experience to be able to meet everyone from the call taker to dispatcher, critical care paramedic and the entire crew. I had no idea how many people helped me on the day. It was amazing to meet every single one of them and I cannot thank them enough for their efforts.”

Kieren Pugh added: “It was humbling to meet Innes and his family, and to see how well he’s doing since his cardiac arrest. Jakki and the rest of the family on scene did a brilliant job of recognising his cardiac arrest and performing CPR, as well as his son leaving to go and get the defibrillator. All of these things are crucial to survival, and I would encourage everyone to learn CPR.”

Diana added: "It was great to meet Innes and Jakki and to hear that they are now planning their wedding. It was lovely to sit down with Innes and hear his point of view, as well as learning about his journey to recovery. He thanked us so much and asked what he could do for us, but honestly, Innes coming in to meet us was the best outcome. We all enjoyed it!"