A firefighter has told how his life was saved by passers-by, the police and paramedics after he collapsed on the street after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Nick Walton, 58, was successfully resuscitated after two members of the public called the police, who used a defibrillator to administer one electric shock, before London Ambulance Service medics arrived and gave him a second shock.
Just two months earlier, Mr Walton’s partner of 37 years, Nicola Bacon, had died at home after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Mr Walton, who works for Essex fire brigade, told his story on Thursday as it was announced that London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan had donated £150,000 to help London Ambulance Service install 200 new defibrillators across the capital.
Mr Walton, a firefighter of four-and-a-half years, said: “I don’t fear death, but obviously it’s the people around you, so when Nicola passed away, my grief, having been with her for so long, was insurmountable.
“It still is daily.”
Mr Walton, from Waltham Abbey, who also survived pancreatic cancer in 2023, collapsed and fell on October 28 last year as he rode to a bike shop in Chingford. He was working in the shop during his recovery from illness.
Sir Sadiq, who suffered a minor heart attack on stage in Glasgow in 2023, said the investment would “help to ensure that every neighbourhood in our city has better access to life-saving equipment”.
When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every second counts.
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) October 16, 2025
That’s why I’m proud to be partnering with the @Ldn_Ambulance and helping to fund 200 new defibrillators. This will help to ensure that every neighbourhood in our city has better access to this life-saving equipment. pic.twitter.com/TGOTwx7GOj
Since recovering, Mr Walton has been fundraising for defibrillators through charity walks, raising £2,500.
He has also used money from his partner’s life insurance policy to pay for nine defibrillators, which have been placed with public access in fire stations across Essex.
“I just felt somebody had given me a second chance, so I felt I had to give something back and that’s why my aim was to start funding the defibrillators,” added Mr Walton.
Mr Walton said how his “re-birthday” was coming up, pointing out a tattoo on his arm with the date of his cardiac arrest.
He said: “It’s to remind me that the 28th of October was not my day.”
Currently, there are 84 neighbourhoods in London which don’t have easy access to defibrillators, known as “defibrillator deserts.”
Of these areas 13 do not have a single defibrillator, and 71 have limited access to a device.
Evidence shows early CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and use of public access defibrillators can improve survival rates by a third, with only one in 10 people who suffer pre-hospital cardiac arrest surviving.
Jason Killens, chief executive of London Ambulance Service, said: “The easier the access the more likely it is we’re going to be able to use these machines on a patient who has a cardiac arrest and therefore improve their survival chances.”
The London Ambulance Charity launched the London Heart Starters campaign last summer and raised more than half of the funds for their target. The mayor’s funding means the goal of raising £400,000 for 200 defibrillators has been met.
Transport for London has also donated 44 defibrillators to homeless shelters across the capital.
People who are homeless are at higher risk to cardiovascular diseases compared with other adults, which is why defibrillators are being provided to charities like Evolve, who provide services for vulnerable people.
These devices will now be installed across the capital, including in community centres, residential buildings, places of worship and shopping centres.
