A FATHER-of-two who collapsed in his home has paid tribute to those who helped save his life.

And Gregor Newton has now raised more than £14,000 as a thank you to the organisation which came to his aid, and to ensure lifesaving equipment is on hand for others in the community.

Gregor was at his home on Dunbar’s Station Road when he suffered a cardiac arrest.

However, thanks to the prompt response of his wife Judy, a nurse, the Dunbar Community First Responders (DCFR) and the Scottish Ambulance Service, he has lived to tell the tale.

Gregor told the Courier: “I would have died.

“DCFR are such an amazing service and have saved my life really.” The 44-year-old described the day of the incident on April 19 as a normal Saturday night and said: “It was totally out of the blue. I had no health issues and no health concerns.

“There had been no problems at all, even to the point that when I woke up [afterwards] I thought ‘what is happening?’.

“I’m very, very lucky to still be here.” Harry, Gregor’s 10-year-old son, heard a loud nouse and told his mum Judy.

She told Harry and his 13-year-old sister Eilidh to get help and they went to the nearby Royal Mackintosh Hotel.

In the meantime, Judy gave CPR while an ambulance was called.

Two of the hotel’s customers came over to help with CPR and, while the ambulance was on its way, Sandy Mitchell, from Dunbar Community First Responders, was alerted to attend.

He delivered a shock to Gregor’s heart using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Gregor added: “My wife found me and carried out CPR, which is a very important part of what had happened.

“She continued that until Sandy Mitchell attended and had the defibrillator, which shocked my heart back into rhythm.” Gregor admitted he was “not aware” of the Dunbar Community First Responders until the incident in April.

A community first responder is a member of the public who volunteers to respond to medical emergencies while the ambulance is on its way.

All volunteers receive specialist training and equipment so that they can provide an early intervention before the arrival of the professional ambulance crew.

The Scottish Ambulance Service operates more than 50 community first responder schemes and there are five regional co-ordinators who are responsible for supporting the schemes and helping those that wish to volunteer.

It was while Gregor was in hospital, where he was fitted with an Implantable Cardio Defibrillator, that he decided he wanted to do something to say thank you.

He said: “Judy says she can remember it that I was in hospital for a couple of days and I said I needed to make people aware of the first responders.

“I wanted to give people the same opportunity and chance that I have had.

“You read about people collapsing and you get the horrible stories of people being away and it is so important that these facilities are around.” So, he held the Staying Alive Ball at Belhaven Fruit Farm. More than 200 people attended the event last month, hosted by ex-rugby star Scott Hastings which raised more than £14,000.

Already, there are eight defibrillators in the town, with the majority in the town centre.

Now, more could be bought, with each defibrillator costing in the region of £1,500.

It is yet to be decided where the defibrillators will be placed, with talks ongoing, although it is expected they will be located in local hotels and Dunbar Grammar School.

Sandy Mitchell, co-ordinator of Dunbar Community First Responders, was delighted.

Sandy said: “There is a thing called the chain of survival. What it means is, one, you have got to recognise what has happened.

“Judy recognised what had happened and called for help.

“The second part is immediate CPR – that buys time for the help to come. On its own, it is not enough to restart a heart.

“The third part is defibrillation and the fourth part is early advance care from the paramedics and up to the hospital.

“In Gregor’s case, all four parts worked in his favour.” He praised Gregor’s efforts and thanked him for the money which has been raised.

He said: “It is a fantastic thing that Gregor has done.

“I was along at the ball myself and I was quite taken aback when they got going with the auction.”