paramedics

Need to know

Rachel was on holiday with her husband when everything went terribly wrong

A 42-year-old Brit mum died suddenly in Spain while on holiday – what you need to know

• A British mum collapsed and died on holiday in Spain despite the best efforts of paramedics to save her life.
• Rachel Weston, 42, from Bury, Greater Manchester, had been to see a pharmacist about what she thought was just a cold, but her condition later worsened significantly – and she suddenly collapsed in her hotel room in Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
• Local reports said she suffered a cardiac arrest, although no underlying cause has been confirmed. Hotel staff and paramedics tried to save her but tragically she couldn’t be saved.
• Her husband, Mark, said: “My world was completely turned upside down with the sudden and heartbreaking loss of my gorgeous wife, Rachel.” Rachel was a loving stepmum to his three children and he described her as “the absolute heart of our home”.
• Mark has launched a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and has asked mourners to wear purple, Rachel’s favourite colour, at her funeral on November 6.

READ THE FULL STORY: ‘My gorgeous wife died suddenly in Lanzarote – it’s heartbreaking’

A team of paramedics battled to save a man’s life on 999: On the Frontline tonight, after his heart stopped beating twice, resulting in him requiring CPR

A 67-year-old man saved by paramedics after his heart stopped twice has appeared in the Channel 4 series 999: On the Front Line.

The incident was caught on camera for a new episode of 999: On the Front Line, which aired on Sunday (October 11) evening. South Western Ambulance Service paramedic Lloyd and colleague Charlie were called to an address in Bristol after a carer reported a man experiencing breathing difficulties.

“He’s not breathing,” the woman told the 999 operator, “He was struggling to breathe, and then he just started gasping for breath”. At that point, the operator instructed the caller on how to give the man chest compressions, as CPR was needed, while paramedics raced to the scene.

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The 67-year-old man named Roy, who is paralysed from a car accident 25 years ago, stopped breathing when the medics arrived.

Lloyd told the camera, “When we first saw Roy, it didn’t look good; he was not breathing, and as soon as we were at his side, we could tell he didn’t have a pulse, which told us, essentially, he is clinically dead.”

A second team of paramedics joined Charlie and Lloyd, and the team managed to successfully restart Roy’s heart as they all battled to keep him stable.

“It’s really important we act fast because every minute that passes, Roy’s chances of survival drop drastically,” Charlie said.

At one point, Roy managed to open his eyes as the ambulance crews were also joined by a doctor and a critical care medic from Great Western Air, who also arrived at the scene.

The team successfully removed Roy from his flat and safely into an ambulance. However, he soon lost consciousness once more as paramedics tried to save his life.

“For the second time tonight, the team gets Roy’s heart beating once again,” the show narrator told viewers while Roy was rushed into the hospital.

Roy made a full recovery after a blockage in his airway ultimately sent him into cardiac arrest. He spent 11 days in the hospital. I would like to say to everyone in involved in the whole process a very big thank you and well done to everyone.”

999 On The Front Line airs on More4 on Sundays at 9:00 PM, with past and current episodes available to stream on-demand via Channel 4