Liverpool grandad, 80, thanks leisure centre staff who saved him

A grandad who suffered a heart attack at his local leisure centre has thanked the "fantastic" team of staff who saved his life.

Ted Sturgeon, 80, collapsed while entering the changing area at Ellergreen Lifestyles Leisure Centre in Liverpool on 14 August.

Within a minute, four staff members had started CPR, and a defibrillator was used only 30 seconds after that.

Mr Sturgeon, from Norris Green, said he was incredibly grateful to them all, adding: "How can you repay someone who has kept you alive?"

"I just remember going in and putting my money in the locker and that was the last I remember," he added.

"They were so fast, it was unbelievable. And so compassionate. They saved my life and made me feel so safe on the day."

The leisure centre's duty manager at the time, Aaron McCann, said: "We'd heard a shout from a member of the public, saying that someone had collapsed."

He said his team had followed their training by quickly checking for Mr Sturgeon's pulse, accessing the centre's defibrillator, and caring for him until paramedics arrived.

After hearing the octogenarian had survived, Mr McCann said he had been "overwhelmed".

"Ted is a big figure in the centre," he said. "He's loved by every single member and every member of staff as well."

The team have all been recognised for their "outstanding lifesaving skills" by Liverpool's Lord Mayor Richard Kemp.

"They were calm, collected and they knew what to do," he said. "They saved Ted's life."