A CYCLIST struck by a “widowmaker” heart attack has met the three off-duty Dursley-based paramedics who saved his life.

Paul Pensom, from Gloucester, stopped for coffee and cake in Whitminster after cycling 65 miles with a friend over the Severn Bridge on May 10, when he was suddenly hit by agonising chest pains that left him unable to even sit up straight.

The 57-year-old called his partner, Kath Hodges, to bring him indigestion tablets but by the time she had arrived he was already being given CPR by the life-saving trio.

“They were absolutely fantastic,” Kath told the Gazette. “They could have just carried on driving but they stopped and they saved Mr Pensom’s life.

“Simon [Mr Pensom’s friend] tried to give Paul CPR but it was very difficult because of how serious the heart attack was.”

The paramedics had initially driven past while on their way for a spa treatment day thinking it was just a cyclist with cramp but having seen the face of Mr Pensom’s friend desperately attempting to revive him they realised it was more serious and turned around to help.

Dee Gordon, Tara Turl and Ali Leigh, who are all based at Dursley Fire Station, used specialist equipment, which they had in their handbags to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, keeping Paul alive until the air ambulance arrived.

He was flown to Bristol Royal Infirmary before making a recovery from the rare form of heart attack that kills nine out of 10 people afflicted by it.

However, just two days after being discharged he suffered another heart attack at home and had to be put in an induced coma for 36 hours.

Since then he has made a full recovery and was keen to meet the women who had saved him.

Last Friday, Mr Pensom, along with his partner Kath Hodges and friend Simon Roberts, met the three paramedics at their base in Dursley.

They spent two and a half hours together and helped to fill in all the details of what had happened that day.

Speaking to the Gazette, Mr Pensom said he thought the meeting had been rewarding for everyone involved.

“It was really nice to meet them,” he said. “I think it was rewarding for all of us, not just me, but Simon, Kath and the paramedics to meet up.

“It meant a lot and what I wanted was for them to get recognition for what they did.”

Attempts to track down the paramedics began almost as soon as the air ambulance lifted off from the ground.

Kath said: “One the air ambulance left, Simon and I were driving down to Bristol and it struck me that we needed to thank these people.

“All I knew was that they were based in Dursley.

“They had said their names but it didn’t really register with me at the time. 

“I spoke with the ambulance service’s media team and they managed to put us in touch so we could arrange the meeting.”

A South Western Ambulance service spokesman said: “We were really pleased to receive a call from Paul’s partner Kath letting us know he is making a good recovery and praising the actions of all the staff involved in his care. 

“When the three off-duty paramedic ‘angels’, on their way to a spa day, who rushed to help Paul - when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a cycle race - were told that he wanted to meet them in person to thank them for saving his life, they were delighted to accept.”

“All the ambulance staff involved in Paul’s care were amazed that he’d had two cardiac arrests in such a short period of time and made such a miraculous recovery. 

“We would like to wish Paul a swift onward recovery and thank him for acknowledging the excellent job carried out by the clinicians involved in treating him.”