A MAN has thanked the first aider who saved his life after he techically died for 11 minutes.

Peter Dawson, 81, of Crown Hill, Rayleigh, suffered a cardiac arrest shortly after making an announcement to his fellow members of the Rayleigh One Club at the Mill.

His heart stopped, he collapsed and woke up in hospital three days later with a pacemaker and mini defibrillator implanted in his chest.

What he didn’t knowwas that without Allister Mitchell, the Mill’s in house first aider, Peter would almost certainly have died.

Allister administered CPR and mouth to mouth resuscitation for 20 minutes before paramedics arrived to rush Peter to Basildon Hospital.

Peter said: “I was virtually dead for 11 minutes, I owe him my life, I am very lucky.

“When the paramedics arrived they said Allister saved my life and then at the hospital they said I was lucky he was there.

“I normally say hello to him when I go to the over sixties One Club every Monday, he’s always in the office and I wouldn’t be here todaywithout him.

“The police were even called because they thought I was dead.”

Peter is now recovering at home with his wife Jill and does not remember the three days following the arrest, but can still remember how it happened.

He added: “I was in the hall at the Mill, I had just come off the microphone, went to hand it to the treasurer and then just collapsed.

“I did not know anything for three days.

“Now I’ve got the pacemaker and defibrillator in me and I can’t lift my left arm above my shoulder because apparently it could disconnect some wires.

“I’d only just come out of hospital before then as well as I had two millimetres taken off a bone in my right arm. It’s been tough, but I’m just thankful to be here, and to Allister.”