TWO POLICE officers have been hailed ‘life-savers’ for performing CPR on a borough driver who had suffered a heart attack after a car crash.
Andrew Johnson, an operational supervisor from Chelmsley Wood, has thanked PCs Alan Hawthorne and Christopher Whitehead for their quick-thinking actions after he collapsed at the wheel and was left with a slim chance of survival when his car crashed into a tree in November last year.
PCs Hawthorne and Whitehead were among the first on the scene in Langbank Avenue, Coventry and took turns to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the 52-year-old until paramedics took over and rushed him to University Hospital.
But thanks to PCs’ actions, and treatment from medical staff, he managed to pull through and recently returned to work following a period of recuperation.
Mr Johnson, , met the two officers from Coventry Local Policing Unit to personally express his gratitude.
He said: “I can’t say thank you enough to the officers for what they did, their actions made sure I am still here today.
“A consultant recently told me just how lucky I am to be alive, as there is only a five per cent chance of living through the type of heart attack I had if you are not in hospital.
“I was just so fortunate these officers were on duty to get me out of the vehicle and give me CPR until the ambulance arrived.
“I have now started back at work full time and although I will never be back to the person I was, I am still able to live a good quality of life.”
Modest PC Whitehead said: “It was immediately clear Mr Johnson wasn’t breathing and we needed to perform CPR.
“The first aid training just kicked in and we took it in turns until the paramedics took over his medical treatment.
“I don’t consider us life-savers, we just did what we could to help; and it is great to see how well Mr Johnson is doing now.”
