THE owner of a Musselburgh garage has been honoured for helping to save a customer’s life.

Randall Price of Randall Price Motor Engineers sprang into action, promptly carrying out cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), after 66-year-old Thomas Hall, a retired stonemason, suffered a massive heart attack.

Mr Hall, who was brought up in Whitecraig and spent most of his life in Musselburgh, had gone to the garage on Pinkie Road for a routine visit last November to have work carried out on his car when he took ill.

Mr Price continued with CPR until the arrival of paramedics, who connected Mr Hall to a defibrillator and took him to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Mr Hall’s son Tom said: “My dad spent three weeks in the Cardiology Care Unit where he remained seriously ill and suffered further life-threatening complications.

“However, the expert care he received resulted in him making a full recovery.

“Doctors described my father’s recovery as remarkable, owing this to the high standard of CPR initially carried out by Mr Price.

“They stated that his actions were exemplary and almost certainly saved my dad’s life.

“Due to this, I sent a nomination to the Royal Humane Society, of which The Queen is patron and Princess Alexandra the president.”

He added: “My dad’s recovery shows the importance of CPR and basic first aid, which Randall has shown can save lives.

“My family and I will be forever grateful to Randall, the paramedics, doctors and nurses at the ERI for all their efforts that day and for the continued care he received at the CCU during the weeks following his heart attack.

“I am extremely proud of our NHS and I am delighted that Randall was presented with this well-deserved award.”

The Royal Humane Society’s committee unanimously agreed at a meeting earlier this year that the “humanity, promptitude and skill” shown by Mr Price “in having restored a man to life” should be recognised with a Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificate.

The family presented Mr Price with his award recently.

Mr Price, 64, said he learned how to carry out CPR at school in Musselburgh and, when Mr Hall took ill, he instinctively put it into practice, and asked his staff to dial 999 for an ambulance.

Delighted and surprised at receiving an award, he had an emotional reunion with Mr Hall following his recovery.

“CPR is so important and I hope more people will learn how to do it,” added Mr Price.

Mr Hall, who now lives in Pencaitland, lost his wife Patricia (Pat) to cancer in 2010. As well as having three children and 11 grandchildren of their own, the couple were foster carers to numerous children over the years.

Mr Hall said: “I didn’t feel ill and was having a cup of coffee and a chat with Randall when it happened.

“I can’t remember a thing after that – a full day is non-existent.

“Randall is a friend – I’ve known him for years. I always take my car to him for repairs.

“What he did was excellent.”