Man praises medical staff after surviving 15 cardiac arrests in just three hours

A man has thanked paramedics and doctors after surviving 15 cardiac arrests in just three hours.

Ian Clark collapsed at home in Elrick, Aberdeenshire, on August 15 last year in front of his wife and youngest son.

The 52-year-old father of three was given CPR by his eldest son Connon before an ambulance arrived at his home.

Mr Clark (pictured) said he had three cardiac arrests at his house, three in the ambulance and nine in the accident and emergency department of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

He said: “My wife called 999 – I had just finished my chicken and sweetcorn soup, and then I fell and caught my eye socket on the fireplace. That’s when my heart stopped.”

Once at hospital Mr Clark was put in an induced coma.

“I remember having my soup and then the next thing I know I’m in intensive care,” he said.

“I thought I had been in a crash. I was coming out of the anaesthetic, and I had a lot of pipes in.

“I wanted to cough, and all my ribs were broken. People were saying I had a cardiac arrest but it didn’t mean anything to me.

Mr Clark said he wanted to thank the medical teams who helped him as he continues to recover.

“I just want to thank everyone for helping me, the doctors, the nurses, paramedics. I might not be here today if it wasn’t for everyone.

“There’s nothing in the world I could give back to them – they saved my life. My heart just stopped. It’s a miracle, definitely a miracle.”

Grampian ambulance service manager Ewan Murray said: “It is great to hear Ian’s story and how he was assisted by the crew at Huntly, and by the Paramedic Response Unit from Aberdeen.

“Our staff, including our call handlers and dispatchers, are trained to deal with life-threatening situations on a daily basis and encounter many challenging incidents.

“They do it day in, day out with no expectation of any reward, so to get thanks from Ian is wonderful to hear. I hope he continues his recovery.”

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