Yahoo News Gateshead dad's emotional meeting with 'hero' nurse who helped to save his life on Easyjet plane
This is the emotional moment a dad met the "hero" nurse who helped to save his life when he fell ill on an aeroplane.
Steve Skoyles, 65, began suffering from symptoms of a heart attack while travelling on an Easyjet flight from Alicante in Spain to Newcastle Airport.
Stranger David Armstrong, who was also travelling as a passenger on the plane, provided Steve with oxygen and told the crew they needed to divert the plane so he could receive immediate medical attention.
The aircraft was diverted to Nantes Atlantique Airport in France and paramedics met Steve at the end of the runway. They rushed him to hospital where he underwent surgery and spent five days in intensive care.
After returning to the UK, Steve managed to get in touch with David, from Annitsford, North Tyneside, via a Facebook group. They met up on Thursday so Steve could thank David in person.
Retired quantity surveyor Steve, from Ryton, Gateshead, said: "I was over the moon to see him, I really was. It was one of the most emotional moments I have ever had in my life. It was very difficult to keep it together but I just about managed to.
"If I had had my own way on that plane and carried on to Newcastle I would have died on the flight. I was told that by two separate people - David and a doctor in the hospital.
"He obviously saved my life. If it hadn't have been for him I wouldn't be here now. David's embarrassed by the fact he was called a 'hero' but that's exactly what he is. I do owe him my life."
David, who is an Associate Lecturer in Nursing at Northumbria University, said seeing that Steve had made a full recovery was the best present be could receive.
The qualified critical care nurse said: "It was really nice to meet him and his partner and to hear, from his prospective, what happened after I left him on the plane.
"He had a heard time, he was in hospital for five days. He had to go to theatre straight away. He was so grateful but I just did what anybody would do if they were there! I was made up to meet him and learn that he was ok in the end."
Steve had spent a week in Albir, Spain, with his partner Debbie Stringer, 62, his daughter Victoria Pearson, 33, and her husband Dan Pearson, 37. He fell ill while on the return flight to Newcastle on April 30.
He said: "We had had a lovely holiday, we had a super week together. I got on the aeroplane and I started to feel unwell. Then I was becoming more and more breathless.
"I have had a heart attack before so I started to understand what was happening. I originally told Debbie I didn't feel too well. The stewards picked the phone up and asked if there was a doctor on the flight.
"There wasn't a doctor but there was David, who was a critical care nurse. He came and helped me and I was arguing with him saying I just wanted to fly back to Newcastle.
"I had a good idea something wasn't right but I didn't want to worry people. The flight was already two hours late and they were going to be another couple of hours late. I just felt a bit awful for everybody on the flight.
"He took the decision out of my hands and we diverted to Nantes in France. I was taken off the plane and went straight to hospital. Victoria came with me and Debbie and Dan followed on afterwards.
"I was taken straight into the operating theatre and they found that one of my stents was almost completely blocked. They cleared the stent so it's works again now. I'm now waiting to see cardiologists over here as they said it will happen again."
David, who was also a commanding officer for the 335 Medical Evacuation Regiment within the British Army, had been returning from a two-week break in the Benissa area of Spain with his wife Debra, 58.
The grandfather said his wife flagged to him that Steve, who was two or three rows in front of them, looked ill. He said: "He was complaining of pain down to his left arm and up to his jaw, which are classic symptoms of a heart attack."
David began treating David before asking the flight crew to divert the plane as soon as possible. He said: "I advised them we should have some paramedics waiting.
"My concern was that he was going to have a full blown cardiac arrest. I could tell the chap was deteriorating and he would have went into cardiac arrest. That's why I had to get the aircraft down on the ground.
"The ambulance was waiting at the end of the runway with a police escort. We handed the gentleman over to the paramedics."
When David returned to his seat, he was given a round of applause by those on board.
Steve saw David had shared his experience with Chronicle Live and spotted that he was from Annitsford. He posted on the Annitsford residents Facebook page and managed to get in touch with him.
He said: "It was David's next door neighbour that the saw the message and told him. He messaged me back. From that I asked if he would be prepared to meet me so I could thank him in person and that's what I did."
Debbie, who owns her own cleaning business, joined Steve for the meeting and they spent around an hour-an-a-half together at Coltello Lounge in Cramlington, Northumberland.
Debbie said: "I just burst into tears when I saw him. It was really emotional watching them hug and Steve give a thank you, it was lovely. I just can't thank him enough. We owe him so much.
"It was an awful situation to be in. At first, I thought Steve was just having a panic attack. It was the lady sitting next to me on the plane who realised it was a bit more serious - that's when everything started kicking in. We got moved to the front of the plane and David was just absolutely amazing. He was trying to talk to Steve, reassure me and talk to Victoria, as she was in bits.
"He just can't accept that he is a hero for what he's done. He keeps saying 'Anybody would have done it' but the way I look at it, I don't think just anybody would have done it. A lot of people don't want to get involved with health and safety.
"I want to thank everybody that was on the flight for being so patient, they were absolutely brilliant."
Steve added: "It was absolutely fantastic meeting him to say thank you. I was really grateful and it was very emotional meeting him. It was nice that Debbie was able to be with me because she was obviously on the flight with me. I will definitely keep in contact with him."
