Garth’s Story 🎬

In August 2023, Garth Jones, a college professor from Wivenhoe, was at home enjoying a quiet evening. Fit and healthy, he had no reason to suspect that his life was about to change forever.

The last thing Garth remembers is sitting up in bed reading. Then, everything faded to black. What followed was a race against time.

Garth had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. His wife, Corrine, immediately called 999, while their then 10 year old  son bravely stepped in to help. Staying calm under immense pressure, he relayed CPR instructions from the emergency operator to his mum, counting out loud as she performed chest compressions.

Corrine remembers: “My son was basically relaying the instructions to me. He was saying ‘mum, 1, 2, 3, 4’ and I would do 1, 2, 3, 4 with the chest compressions. The paramedics told us afterwards without this he wouldn’t have survived”.

Thanks to their quick thinking, and the rapid response from Essex & Herts Air Ambulance and the East of England Ambulance Service, Garth’s life was saved.

He wouldn’t regain consciousness until five days later, waking up in intensive care at Basildon Hospital.

Paramedic Adam Pitcairn, who leads on cardiac arrest for the air ambulance’s Centre for Excellence, says Garth’s story highlights the lifesaving impact of immediate action:

“Garth was one of the lucky ones. His experiences show how bystander CPR can mean the difference between life and death. While the numbers delivering CPR so far this year are really heartening, we still go to all too many scenes where no one has felt able to intervene and it’s simply too late, which is devastating. No one expects to have to do CPR on a loved one or a stranger, but it can make all the difference. I’d urge anyone who’s unsure about how to do it to brush up on their skills now so they’re ready should the need ever arise”.

Since his recovery, Garth has become a passionate supporter of the charity that helped save his life. He has also shared his experience in a short film to help raise awareness.

“I’m so grateful to my family and to the air ambulance team.  It feels like I’ve been given a second chance at life,” Garth says. “I’ll never take that for granted. I can’t imagine other families going through this and not getting the same outcome. It really brings home how important it is to have the right care at every stage and how we can all play a part by learning CPR.”

If you would like to learn more about how to do CPR or use a defibrillator please check out our films below.

Unlock Life-Saving Knowledge