A SQUASH player who nearly died on the court during a cardiac arrest has thanked fellow sportsmen, medics and his wife for saving his life.

On Monday evening (December 18) he returned to the court to meet those he had never met before and squash colleagues for the first time since his medical episode - about which he has no memory, Tony Savage of Milton Abbot, was just about to play racketball at Tavistock Squash Club in during the town’s November fireworks display, when he suffered the sudden attack and collapsed on the floor of the court at his wife Jane’s feet. She called for help and four club members rushed in to administer CPR – with one applying compressions to the heart while Jane breathed into his mouth. The club has a defibrillator on site and while this was used by one player to try and stimulate Tony’s heart, others directed paramedics to the scene and one drove to Mount Kelly, to collect the Devon Air Ambulance Trauma Team who had been diverted during the football ground fireworks. A local GP also attended after one of the players called on his services as a friend, and he continued with CPR until paramedics from South Western Ambulance Service arrived from Plymouth about 45 minutes after the initial 999 call. The couple are convinced the immediate response from the players saved Tony’s life and are keen that people know where their nearest defibrillators is and how to give CPR. Tony is recovering well is fitted with an internal defibrillator. He stressed it was not squash that caused the episode but a previously undiagnosed virus. He said “I don’t remember anything about it, I was just starting to play and felt dizzy – then woke up in A&E at Derriford Hospital. But I’d like to say how grateful I am to the players who rushed in to help Jane. If they hadn’t been so responsive and organised it is highly likely I would have died. The cardiac consultant told me that I had suffered Sudden Death Syndrome and that I was extremely lucky to have survived. He said the key to my survival was immediate and sustained CPR.” Jane added “Tavistock Squash Club is amazing – most of the players, including ourselves, helped to raise the money for the defibrillator some time ago always hoping it would never be needed. I can’t put into words how grateful I am to the club and those four paricular players and the medics who were just amazing.” Clinton Bixter had just finished playing and rushed to help Jane: “My medical training as a merchant seaman proved essential and we put him on his back and started CPR. He’d turned blue and didn’t look good. We got the defibrillator and operated it. As we took turns to carry out the decompressions we talked to the 999 operator. I called my neighbour Andrew who is a GP after we were told the ambulance could not arrive for 40 minutes and he helped coordinate us all in doing the right thing along with the first responders.” Andrew said: “My training just kicked in, but the crucial action took place before me - prompt CPR.”