'I went to the gym and the next thing I was dead on the floor'

A grandad has thanked the "heroes" at a Liverpool leisure centre who saved his life after he collapsed before a gym session. Ted Sturgeon, 80, is a regular at the Lifestyles Ellergreen site in Norris Green and had been expecting to enjoy his usual workout when he visited last month.

However, the former joiner collapsed just before he entered the changing area after suffering from heart failure and required urgent attention. Quick-thinking staff at the leisure centre leapt into action, led by duty manager Arron McCann, alongside training officer Natalie Wainwright and attendant Heather Gibb.

In a display of rapid teamwork, four members of staff were delivering CPR to Ted in under a minute, including attendant Tracy Hulks, who was also on duty. A defibrillator shock was administered just 90 seconds after the collapse.

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Arron said: "We heard someone shout and went right out, his pulse was fading and we tried to reassure him as he was gasping for air. I've been in Lifestyles for 10 years and never had to use a defibrillator once until that day. It really impacted the staff but we took all the emotion out of it to make sure we could give him more time."

Ted, who lives in Norris Green, began to show signs of recovery after four minutes of CPR and two defibrillator shocks, a critical window in which the team's immediate action made all the difference. He told the ECHO what the centre and the staff meant to him.

He said: "I was going to the locker and the next thing I'm on the floor, I was dead on the floor. It's not just what they did, it's how they did it, the compassion, they made me feel safe.

"They saved my life, I was dead, they're real heroes." Ted, who has since had an internal cardiac defibrillator fitted, actually gained his name from staff at the centre.

When he signed up at Ellergreen, another person was registered as Eric - his real name - so they opted with his new moniker of Ted. He has since visited the centre to reunite with the team who saved his life for cups of tea while he is unable to train.

Ted said: "When I went back it was so emotional, they're a family. It comes right the way through. It's a brilliant place, it's the hub of the community."

Arron added: "The way we see it, we were just doing our job. What really got me was when I phoned up to check in, they put me through to Ted at the hospital who said we had given him more time with his grandson.

"He's been in to see the team every day. It shows how vital these centres are, there's the social element of it."