An army veteran came to the rescue of a fellow serviceman after he suffered a heart attack in a hotel restaurant.
On Saturday, April 15, the 80-year-old man experienced a heart attack at the Thyme Bar and Grill restaurant at Premier Inn North Ipswich.
His life was saved by British Army veteran Ryan Bamforth, from Horwich near Bolton, who was down visiting his son.
The 42-year-old, who was posted in Suffolk between 1999 and 2004, was staying at the hotel as well.
Mr Bamforth said: "I saw this man and he'd finished eating and was leaving the kitchen area.
"I saw the shift manager with him asking if he was ok and he was just brushing it off saying he just needed to sit down.
"I saw two young lads looking and they just went pale and I thought 'oh no'.
"I went round the corner and the gentleman had become unresponsive and instantly I knew his airways were blocked.
"I stepped in and felt for a pulse, he had one but it was quite erratic.
"Now I am not a medic or a doctor, I have had first aid and safety training, taught by the military.
"So I scooted round him and opened up his airways and he started breathing again and broke out into a massive sweat."
Mr Bamforth asked for staff at the Premier Inn to get a towel and call an ambulance, which they did instantly.
He then proceeded to ask the gentleman questions about himself to make sure he still had cognitive ability.
The man had told Mr Bamforth that he had had heart attacks before, and was fitted with a pace maker.
Mr Bamforth continued: "I asked him why he was there, and he told me that he was in the Royal Navy in 1958 to 1969.
"Now we always have a bit of a joke between the British Army, Royal Navy and the RAF.
"So I cracked a joke to him about that, and he chuckled, which was good and he was coming round a bit."
The pair were able to make light conversation as they awaited further medical attention.
Mr Bamforth said: "It's just a testament to him that even at the age of 80 how he can still have a sense of humour after he was moments from death.
"He was amazing. He really was."
The ambulance crew were on the scene within 10-15 minutes according to Mr Bamforth, who heaped praise onto the NHS workers that day.
He said: "They were so fast.
"I initially heard between 20 and 40 minutes so I was settling in for the long haul but they came really fast.
"I spoke to one of them and told them what I had seen and they said the quick actions save the man's life.
"I'm not an emotional person, but when he said that to me, I did feel a little rush of emotion."
Mr Bamforth took himself off to his room to digest what had happened, before returning, where he was given free drinks from the hotel staff.
He then stuck around the following morning to check in and see whether the hotel had heard anything from the man.
The 80-year-old was discharged from hospital following tests and was able to go back to the hotel to collect belongings, with the hotel not charging any extra for the additional night the room was taken.
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