A self-described fit water sports enthusiast who suffered a heart attack while enjoying a family day out at an aqua park earlier this summer has met the three lifeguards who saved his life.

Dave Francis, from Surrey, suffered a life-threatening cardiac arrest in May while enjoying a visit to Aqua Park Rutland with his wife, niece and nephew while his wife watched on from the shore.

Dave's wife, Sheryl, saw him collapse and called for help. Lifeguards George Pollard and Reuben Hutchison, both 17, alongside duty manager Nathan Liptrot, sprung into action, immediately delivering CPR. Together, alongside aqua park manager Charlotte Bambrick, the four continued CPR. They used an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) to shock Mr Francis's heart back into a normal rhythm for over 20 minutes to save Dave’s life before the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA) arrived on the scene.

Even more remarkable is that it was George’s first day working as a lifeguard and Reuben’s second shift, while the n park had only been open for a few days.

Dave is recovering well after a short stay in Leicester's Glenfield Hospital and surgery.

Critical Care Paramedic Sam Cooper at the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance, who attended Mr Francis’ incident, said, “The best chance of survival for a heart attack or cardiac arrest recognises there is a chain of survival that involves dialling 999 for help, good CPR, and using a defibrillator to shock the heart. I commend the lifeguards at Aqua Park Rutland for undertaking quality CPR and their fantastic use of the AED, which were integral to Mr Francis’ survival.

“We were able to be by Mr Francis’ side within nine minutes of him being mobile and fly him to Glenfield Hospital quickly for specialist care—and it is truly great to hear he is recovering well, a testament to everyone’s efforts that day.”

The 64-year-old has now met with the lifesaving duo to express his and his family’s gratitude.

Dave said: “One minute, I was having a brilliant day enjoying the obstacles, and the next thing I remember is waking up with ear defenders in the air ambulance.”

“I’ll forever be grateful to George, Reuben, Nathan and Charlie; they are heroes in my eyes, and I’m so pleased to be able to express my gratitude to them in person.”

“I must also thank the East Midlands Air Ambulance, the paramedics, doctors, and nurses who continued to work to save my life.”

“Fortunately, I can’t remember a thing about the experience, and now that I’m feeling much better, I want to do something to help other people who might find themselves in my position.”

“I didn’t even know I had a heart problem, so I want to stress the importance of routine heart check-ups."

Aqua Park Rutland’s owners, including Connor James, organized the meeting between Dave and the lifeguards, as George, Reuben, and Nathan wanted to see Dave again.

Dave's wife, Sheryl, also expressed gratitude to the lifeguards. She said, "I can't thank the staff at Aqua Park Rutland enough, but most of all, George, Reuben, and Nathan for saving my husband's life."

“They kept him alive until the paramedics arrived and could continue the treatment.”

“The hospital doctors told me Dave was lucky he’d had the heart attack at the park because of the trained lifeguards and the AED.”

“Having the defibrillator on site and then using it competently was vital because, without that and the CPR, the outcome could have been much different.”

Charlotte, who has worked at Aqua Park Rutland for four years, said: “Together with Reuben, George, and Nathan, we used our advanced Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) Open Water Lifeguard (OWL) qualification training and followed the procedure I had trained them in before the park opening for the summer.”

“Of course, looking back, it’s quite a dramatic situation, but we didn’t think about that during the event and simply tried our best to help save Dave’s life.”

“Everything happened suddenly, and we just followed our training plan, worked together and tried to stay calm.”

“It was quite emotional afterwards because while we train for these scenarios, we don't expect them actually to happen.”

“We always wondered what happened to Dave, and we’re so thankful he’s feeling much better now.”

The RLSS UK Approved Aqua Park was partially closed to give the lifeguards and paramedics space to treat Dave, then fully opened afterwards. 

An East Midlands Air Ambulance spokesperson said, “The treatment given by George and Reuben allowed the paramedics and hospital team to complete the process of saving Dave’s life.”

"They are both lifesavers, and the outcome could have been much worse without that advanced training and the AED on site."

“It shows how the right training and equipment can literally save lives. They should both be very proud of themselves and what they did that day.”

Aqua Park Group has operated up to four aqua parks in the UK since 2016 and has welcomed more than 500,000 visitors, but this is the first time a serious health issue has occurred.

Connor James, Aqua Park Group Director, added: “We couldn’t be more proud of George, Reuben and the management team, particularly given their age and time spent as lifeguards.”

“By working with the RLSS UK, we ensure all of our lifeguards have the highest level of Open Water Lifeguard (OWL) training in the UK, but this is the first time we’ve had anything serious at any of our parks.”

“The training and planning we do every year before our parks open clearly shows we can deal with these situations and, when necessary, save lives.”

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