A DAD-OF-THREE said he is under "no illusion" that he would not be here today if it was not for the swift action of a handful of Leigh workers.
A mobile response officer for WN Security Services, Will Burns drove to the Laltex Group's Leigh premises in November, intending to go about his usual work in locking the site up and ensuring it was secure.
On approaching the Laltex site, a wholesale and retail supplier based at Leigh Commerce Park, workers saw Will's vehicle driving into the business' gates and found the dad-of-three having a seizure at the wheel.
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As luck would have it, the Laltex workers who were finishing their shift had completed first aid training just two weeks previously, and acted fast in those critical minutes.
Five workers immediately got the 53-year-old out of his vehicle and placed him in a recovery position. They then performed CPR and rang the emergency services, while others attempted to deliver a shock using the on-site defibrillator.
Thankfully, the workers were able to find a pulse before needing to use the defib, and the emergency services were on site within minutes and rushed the dad to hospital after putting him in an induced coma.
Will, who is originally from Hindley but now based in Euxton, said that he can't remember anything about the incident, nor the drive to Laltex, until he woke up in his hospital bed three days later.
It was later confirmed that his seizure was a result of an abnormality in his brain's blood vessels, that had burst and led to a brain haemorrhage, which developed into the stroke, seizure and cardiac arrest he suffered at Leigh Commerce Park.
Following a risky operation in December, doctors successfully removed the abnormal vessels and cleared any damaged cells, with Will now recovering as part of a six month rehabilitation programme.
Will said: "The doctors told me that I have had this abnormality with my brain's vessels being twisted since birth, so they could have burst at any time.
"I'm just so lucky that it happened when it did, and not when I was driving ten minutes earlier because I would not be here now.
"I know that people can be frightened to get involved in medical episodes in fear of doing the wrong thing, but I am under no illusions that without the worker's swift actions I would not have survived.
"There can be a lot of doom and gloom at times so I thought there needs to be some recognition of their efforts, and the amazing response of the police and paramedics, because they saved my life and have just gone about their daily lives."
Following the life-saving actions of their staff members, a Laltex spokesperson said:
"We would like to give a massive thank you to five of our team members who acted quickly when our security guard Will Burns from WN Security Services Ltd was found unresponsive in his car in November 2023, after he came to lock up the premises following a night shift.
"The Laltex team members proceeded to call the emergency services, start CPR and used our on site defibrillator.
"Will is now expected to make a full recovery which is all down to the quick thinking and actions of our unsung heroes who stepped up - Shawn Hague, Johnathan Carey, Catarino Mendes, Monika Kula, Steve Lalley, and of course the emergency services who cared for him."
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