Off-duty officer saves man's life during parkrun

A man has thanked an off-duty police officer for "saving his life" after he suffered cardiac arrest during a parkrun.

David Painter, 74, from Dilton Marsh near Westbury in Wiltshire, went into cardiac arrest shortly after starting the event at Thoulstone Park.

Other runners initially placed David in the recovery position, however PC Vicky Howick recognised his laboured breathing as a key indicator of cardiac arrest, called for a defibrillator and began CPR. Another officer, Nick Slade, helped David's wife get to hospital.

In recognition of their actions, both Howick and Slade received commendations from Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith.

Slade was commended for his action after he went to David's home to inform his wife Jackie, before driving her to Bristol Royal Infirmary where he was taken for emergency treatment.

Jackie said she feared the worst: "When I saw two officers arrive at my door, my legs went from under me."

But, Jackie said Slade was "amazing" driving her to hospital, connecting her phone to the hospital Wifi, helping her find nurses and doctors, and making sure she was not alone before leaving.

David spent about a month in hospital and underwent heart surgery, before having a cardioverter defibrillator fitted.

He has been told not to drive or run for six months, however said he would be volunteering at parkruns meanwhile.

This week, David and his wife met with the two officers and other parkrun volunteers at Thoulstone Park.

"I was desperate to meet the people who helped save my life," David said.

"I was incredibly lucky that Vicky was running behind me," he added.

On meeting Howick, David said: "I feel like a very lucky man. This is the first time I've met Vicky in person, the person who saved my life, and it's quite emotional. I'm so grateful to her."

Howick, who has been a police officer for 20 years, said: "Meeting David has been really emotional. It's fantastic to see him doing so well."

Howick also said meeting victims and their families after traumatic incidents could be an important part of the recovery process for everyone.

"As police officers, we're exposed to traumatic incidents on a regular basis, and we have support in place to help us deal with that," she said.

"For members of the public, these events can be overwhelming and confusing. People often want to talk through what happened and understand more about what they experienced," she added.

Since the incident, the parkrun near Westbury has organised a special first aid course for 50 runners, helping participants learn the skills needed to respond in an emergency and potentially save lives.

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.