Bellingham man reunited with ambulance team after surviving cardiac arrest at Byker Asda

A Bellingham man who collapsed from a cardiac arrest while buying lunch at Asda in Byker has been reunited with the ambulance professionals and call handlers involved in his rescue.

Roger Crosby was 56 when the emergency happened on 8 May. He had been at work since 6am and was looking forward to playing golf later that day. In the weeks before the cardiac arrest, he had experienced virtually no symptoms. An ECG the night before had shown no concerns.

Roger said he had been buying a sandwich when he suddenly collapsed inside the Newcastle supermarket. His next clear memory was waking two days later at the Freeman Hospital, where he had undergone a procedure to have a stent fitted.

“I had been under a lot of stress and I was exhausted, but I had never had high blood pressure. I think my cholesterol had crept up. I had an ECG the night before and it was clear. I went to work, went to Asda for my lunch and then woke up two days later in the Freeman having had a stent fitted.”

Medical student began CPR

Roger’s survival followed a series of actions involving a member of the public, the supermarket’s emergency equipment, North East Ambulance Service teams, specialist clinicians and police officers.

A medical student happened to be inside the store when Roger collapsed. The student immediately started CPR and stayed to assist the emergency teams. A defibrillator at the store was available for use before the ambulance crew arrived.

NEAS received the report of Roger’s cardiac arrest at 12.06pm. Health adviser Ebony Tweddle took the emergency call, while dispatcher officers Erin Denyer and Jennifer Alexander helped coordinate the response.

An ambulance crew from Howdon station arrived at 12.10pm, four minutes after the call was received. The crew included ambulance support practitioner Claire Shearer and paramedic Iain Shaw.

Specialist paramedic critical care Thomas Mortillaro arrived shortly afterwards and provided specialist critical care alongside the ambulance crew. Clinical team leader Dustin Norris also attended. Police officers gave additional assistance at the scene, including performing CPR and helping the ambulance team gain access to equipment.

Although Roger had been in cardiac arrest for a significant period, the team restored his circulation. He was taken to the Freeman Hospital and arrived at 1.28pm, where he received specialist treatment and had a stent inserted.

Call handler said every second mattered

Ms Tweddle said that dealing with a cardiac-arrest call was different from other emergency calls because the person involved was in a life-threatening situation. She talked the caller through CPR and helped them find and use a defibrillator while the ambulance was travelling to the store.

“You never know what the outcome will be once that call ends, so to now see Roger doing so well and hear about his recovery is really special. Knowing that the instructions given over the phone helped play a part in getting him to this point is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

Paramedic Mr Shaw said ambulance workers often meet people during some of the worst moments of their lives but do not always discover what happens after they leave the scene. He said seeing Roger standing independently and looking well showed the importance of each part of the response.

“It’s brilliant to see him back on his feet, talking about his family, his music and getting back to doing the things he enjoys. It’s a reminder of just how important every part of that response can be.”

Roger, a father of three, had wanted to meet the people who helped save him so that he could thank them personally. He said his recovery had been better than he could have imagined and that NHS care had been exceptional.

“The whole wraparound care from the NHS has been incredible. My recovery has been amazing. I play in a rock and roll band, so I’m really pleased to be back doing the things I love.”

He said his experience had shown him that a cardiac arrest could happen during an apparently ordinary day, even when someone had experienced few warning signs.

“It can happen to anybody. I had virtually no symptoms and I was just going about my normal day. If people know what to do in an emergency, it can make such a difference.”

NEAS figures underline emergency response

The reunion was reported by NEAS on 9 October 2026, shortly before Restart a Heart Day on Thursday 16 October. The awareness day aims to encourage people to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

Mr Mortillaro said Roger’s case demonstrated how the “chain of survival” can work when several actions happen in sequence: someone recognises the emergency, CPR starts, a defibrillator is available, ambulance crews arrive quickly, advanced treatment is provided and the patient reaches hospital for specialist care.

NEAS said it answered more than 1.475 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls during 2025/26. More than 298,000 patients were taken to hospital, while more than 56,000 were treated and discharged over the telephone and more than 143,800 were treated and discharged at home.

During the same period, the service responded to more than 40,444 category-one serious and life-threatening incidents, including cardiac arrests. Its average response time for those incidents was six minutes and 17 seconds.

Roger’s family has also used the experience to raise awareness. In September, his sons Daniel and James ran the Great North Run in aid of the British Heart Foundation, highlighting what happened to their father earlier in the year.