'I felt overwhelmed with joy' - Lancashire man who suffered heart attack on rollercoaster meets his life-saver

Thomas Ormerod, of Sizehouse Village, Haslingden, launched an appeal to find the man who performed CPR on him after he fell unconscious on the Infusion ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

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Lee Yates, from Glossop, came to the rescue of Mr Ormerod, who was on a trip to Blackpool with his girlfriend Charlotte Howell.

Mr Yates, 37, disappeared after his heroics and Mr Ormerod, who spent three weeks in hospital after the heart attack on June 24, launched an appeal to try and track him down.

A week after the Lancashire Telegraph published his story, Mr Ormerod met up with Mr Yates and paramedic Kristian Schofield who was first on the scene.

Mr Ormerod, a quality assurance inspector at Radcliffe skincare company Faith in Nature, said the trio met up for a coffee in Blackpool.

He said: “Although it was a horrendous and traumatising event it has connected us.

“It was great to finally be able to put a face and voice to the name, I felt overwhelmed with joy.

“For them and especially Kristian it was a one-off occasion to meet somebody they had saved.

“It was like being with old friends after a long time apart.

“I asked about the day from both of their perspectives and if for Lee it was his first aid training that kicked in or whether he just wanted to help and it was nice to hear he was just helping and that the first aid training was a secondary thing.

“Without Lee I would have been in a lot of a worse state when the paramedics arrived.”

Mr Yates, who works at Firth Rixson in Sheffield, said his reaction was ‘instinct’.

He said: “I just saw him there and thought I needed to help, I must help.

“It was instinct really, I never thought I would use my first aid training but I’m so glad I have it.

“I’m over the moon that Thomas is okay.”

Mr Schofield said: “I’m thrilled the combined effort of all involved has achieved such a fantastic outcome for Tom and his family.”