A quick-thinking 12-year-old boy who learned how to do CPR at school has been hailed a hero for saving his collapsed dad's life.
Henry Collett and his dad Jules were out running on March 8 when the 56-year-old suddenly collapsed with a cardiac arrest.
Schoolboy Henry immediately sprang into action by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and ringing an ambulance, which ultimately saved Jules' life.
Jules was rushed to intensive care and placed into an induced coma, which he remained in for almost a week and had less than a 10% chance of surviving.
Henry, from Hipperholme near Halifax, West Yorks., learned the lifesaving technique, which involves pressing up and down on the chest, with the Sea Cadets at school.
However, he is recovering well at home and has even set his sights on going back out for a jog with Henry when he's fit enough.
Speaking about the lifesaving moment, the schoolboy said: “I tried to keep a clear head by thinking ‘what I do now might save his life’.
“I pretty much know what to do, so I did chest compressions.
“If I hadn’t done CPR when I did he might have had brain damage.”
Jules added: ”I wouldn’t have survived, put it that way, because my heart stopped."
The dad and son go jogging three times a week and they'd just reached the top of a hill on March 8 when Jules fell ill.
He said: "I turned to Henry and said ‘I don’t feel very well’ and at that point I just collapsed.
“I can’t even remember that.
“Henry then stepped in and checked my vitals, then administered CPR.
“I always have a phone in an arm pouch to listen to music as we go, so he took that out and flagged somebody down.”
Henry said: “He was unresponsive so I called an ambulance, told them where I was, and once I did that I started to do CPR for about 30 seconds to a minute.
“Then a jogger appeared who saw my dad and came over, and I then went to go and get a defibrillator.”
Henry, who had been taught three lessons in CPR at Hipperholme Grammar School, added that once the ambulance arrived he rang his mum Jackie Collett to tell her what happened.
She said Jules was in a coma for six or seven days before being discharged a few days later.
Jackie added: "If it hadn’t been for Henry’s quick-thinking and calm actions he wouldn’t be here.
“The fact he knew what to do and how to prioritise it, he’s just the hero I need the world to know about because he’s my son and without him, I wouldn’t have a husband.”
Jules said: “I think it shows the benefit of what is a very simple 20 minute lesson for kids about how to do it, and it saves lives.
“Also, what you can’t teach is the ability not to panic and to prioritise and organise, which is slightly different and I think that’s something Henry has himself.
“The more people who know how to do CPR and then have the confidence to do it, the better.”
Henry is planning to do a Duke of Edinburgh award in Year 9, which he starts in September.
For his community project, the schoolboy will be raising awareness of the benefits of CPR and teaching it in schools.
Henry and his dad are also planning to resume their evening runs together.
Jules said: “We will carry on with that but Henry will be bringing his phone and we’ll have a team of about 130 medical people."
