A young runner whose heart stopped beating has thanked the stranger who saved his life.
Charlie Grocott was given first aid by a woman who was taking part in the same 10km race. Victoria Houston gave him CPR for two minutes until paramedics arrived at Regent’s Park.
But Mr Grocott, an analyst for financial services firm KPMG, had no idea that she had come to his aid. He did not find out until days after the British Heart Foundation run on March 26.
The 27-year-old from Tooting said: “I came to while in the ambulance and the paramedics had taken over. It was very scary as I had no idea where I was or what was going on.
“Because I had a lack of oxygen going to my brain I was very confused. I didn’t know who had helped me until the British Heart Foundation put us in touch some days later.”
It was the medical training which Ms Houston received as a physiotherapist that enabled her to help Mr Grocott.
Ms Houston, 30, worked on his heart until a paramedic arrived with a defibrillator to restart it.
She said: “When I saw Charlie on the floor there were a couple of other runners with him but I took control because of my medical background.
“I knew that he wasn’t breathing so then I started trying to resuscitate him. All physios have to be trained in CPR, although I’ve never been in a position where I had needed to use it before. It’s part of my work so I think anybody with my training would have done it. I’m just so happy that he is alive and I was able to help.”
Mr Grocott had no idea he had a dangerously fast heart rhythm called idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and has become the first patient at the Royal Free London to have been given a new type of implant.
It is fitted just under the skin instead of inside his ribcage and triggers fewer complications than traditional mini-defibrillators.
Mr Grocott said: “It’s a relief to know that I have this [implant] so I know the same thing won’t happen again.”
