Man reunited with officer who saved his life at parkrun

A man from Dilton Marsh has thanked an off-duty police officer who helped save his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a local parkrun. 

David Painter, 74, collapsed shortly after starting the Thoulstone parkrun on Saturday 13th June. Off-duty PC Vicky Howick recognised he was in cardiac arrest, immediately began CPR and used the event’s defibrillator before paramedics and the Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance arrived. 

David spent around a month in hospital, underwent heart surgery and had a cardioverter defibrillator fitted before recently returning to Thoulstone Park to thank PC Howick and PC Nick Slade in person. PC Slade had gone to David’s home to inform his wife, Jackie, what had happened before driving her to Bristol Royal Infirmary and staying with her until other family members arrived. 

“I was desperate to meet the people who helped save my life,” said David. “When my heart stopped during the parkrun on 13th June, I was incredibly lucky that Vicky was running behind me. She was able to start CPR straight away and use the parkrun defibrillator, which ultimately helped save my life. 

“I feel like a very lucky man. This is the first time I’ve met Vicky in person, the person who saved my life, and it’s quite emotional. I’m so grateful to her.” 

Other runners initially placed David in the recovery position. However, PC Howick recognised that the 74-year-old was displaying agonal breathing, a key indicator of cardiac arrest, and immediately called for the parkrun defibrillator before beginning CPR with the help of another runner. 

David has now been told not to drive or run for six months while he recovers, but says he plans to volunteer at parkrun until he is able to take part again. 

After cutting off David’s treasured 2016 Bath Half Marathon T-shirt during the emergency, PC Howick surprised him with a replacement. Although she couldn’t find the exact same top, she was able to source a London Marathon T-shirt instead. 

PC Howick said, “I’ve been a police officer for 20 years and every year we refresh our first aid training, including how to use a defibrillator and perform CPR. It becomes second nature and, when something like this happens, you draw on that training and do the best you can. 

“Meeting David has been really emotional. It’s fantastic to see him doing so well.” 

She said meeting victims and their families after traumatic incidents can be an important part of the recovery process for everyone. 

“As police officers, we’re exposed to traumatic incidents on a regular basis, and we have support in place to help us deal with that,” she said. 

“For members of the public, these events can be overwhelming and confusing. People often want to talk through what happened and understand more about what they experienced. David told us he wasn’t aware of what had happened until he woke up in hospital.” 

Jackie said that when she saw police officers arriving at her home, she feared the worst. 

“When I saw two officers arrive at my door, my legs went from under me,” she said. 

She described PC Slade as “amazing”, saying he drove her to hospital, connected her phone to the hospital Wi-Fi, helped her find nurses and doctors, and made sure she was not alone before leaving. 

Both PC Howick and PC Slade have since received commendations from Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith. 

Following the incident, the parkrun has organised a first aid course for 50 runners to help participants learn the skills needed to respond in an emergency and potentially save lives.