A man from Leeds has said his faith in humanity has been restored after two complete strangers leaped to his aid and performed CPR to resuscitate him after an accident.
Thomas Wilson, 34, was cycling along Magpie Lane in his hometown of Morley on Wednesday, May 22 when he clipped the kerb and fell onto the pavement.
The impact of the collision was so severe that he suffered a number of serious injuries and stopped breathing.
If it wasn't for the quick-thinking of two off-duty nurses who happened to be there at the time, Thomas might not have survived.
"I came off my bike and knocked myself out," Thomas told LeedsLive.
"I had stopped breathing completely. I had to be resuscitated right there and then on the path."
An ambulance arrived a few minutes later and transferred Thomas to Leeds General Infirmary. However, his condition was so severe that he was placed in an induced coma for more than two weeks.
Doctors removed more than a litre of fluid from Thomas' lungs and placed two pins into his broken left wrist to secure it in place. He spent the first two weeks on the intensive care unit before being moved to the major trauma ward.
He said: "When I eventually came round from the coma, I was talking gibberish - but the first person I asked for was my other half, Ian.
"He was absolutely devastated. He has since told me that he broke down in tears on the phone to my mum.
"But he came to see me every day in hospital that he was allowed."
Thomas is now recovering at home after spending more than a month in hospital and he is determined to meet the two selfless nurses who saved his life.
'I can't wait to meet them in person to say thank you'
"I'm very, very lucky," he said.
"I haven't met the nurses face to face yet, but I'm just so thankful and so relived that they were there and that they stopped to help me.
"It has restored my faith in people and it was a remarkable thing for them to save my life.
"I can't wait to meet them in person to say thank you."
