A HAMPSHIRE cyclist who suffered a cardiac arrest owes his survival to an off-duty police officer and two firefighters who happened to be nearby.

The trio, who were travelling in different vehicles, came across the cyclist minutes after he was taken ill and joined forces to save his life.

He was riding along Winchester Road in Botley when he suddenly crashed to the ground and stopped breathing.

Luckily a British Transport Police officer and two members of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service were driving along the same road and arrived at the scene almost at the same time.

Together they used CPR and a portable defibrillator to keep the man alive while they waited for the ambulance.

Posting on social media, Hedge End Cops said a female motorist stopped the traffic while a resident rushed out of their home and helped close the road by halting a bus.

They added: "Minutes later Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance arrived as did the South Central Ambulance Service and a First Responder.

"Once the medical team had worked their magic he was deemed suitable to go in the ambulance and was taken to Southampton General Hospital.

"A full recovery is expected."

Hedge End Cops quoted an onlooker who said the cyclist was incredibly lucky the right people were in the right place at the right time. They added that all three emergency services, aided by the public, worked together to give him "the very best chance possible."

The first firefighter on the scene was Andy Walford, a watch manager at Botley fire station.

He was soon joined by his boss, Mark Woods, a group manager with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, would had a portable defibrillator in his car.

Now the two men are urging everyone to download an app which can pinpoint the location of nearest defibrillator.

Andy, 33, said: "We shocked him once and he started breathing again. When the ambulance arrived they stabilised him and took him to hospital. This man is alive because of a great team effort."

Mark, 45, added: "We were all travelling in different directions but just happened to converge on the scene within minutes of each other.

"When I arrived Andy and the police offer were doing CPR and my defibrillator was the final piece in the jigsaw, Without it the outcome would have been very different."

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