Teesdale teenager who suffered 'cardiac episode' meets off-duty police officer who helped save his life

A teenager who stopped breathing after suffering a “cardiac episode” at a Barnard Castle gym has been reunited with the off-duty detective who helped save his life.
Seventeen-year-old Lewis Hall collapsed at Glaxo Sports and Social Club gym during his usual weekday workout on Tuesday, January 3.
Thankfully, off-duty Detective Constable Darren Edgar was on-hand to perform CPR when Lewis stopped breathing. Due to his quick actions, along with the GSK fire crew who operated a defibrillator before paramedics arrived, Lewis is now recovering.
Speaking at home at the weekend, Lewis said: “I feel good. When I first came out of hospital I felt not with it very much at all but that seems to have gone.
“I had quite a lot of palpitations but they have stopped too. I don’t remember any of it at all. I know I was at the start of my workout. I would like to thank Darren for acting so quickly – he has saved my life.”
The teen, who lives at Bowes Moor, was placed in an induced coma at the scene before being flown by the Great North Air Ambulance Service to The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough – a journey which took nine minutes.
Despite waking from the coma the following day, Lewis spent the next 24 hours in intensive care before being moved to a cardiac ward. He was later transferred to Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital where he had an implanted cardiac device (ICD) fitted which acts as both a pacemaker and a defibrillator. He returned home on Friday, January 13.
Lewis’ mum, Jane Hall, said: “We would like to thank Darren for being there and knowing what to do. This could have happened to Lewis at the gym, at home or when he was walking down the street. It was not the gym that caused it. There was an impediment in his heart already.”
The former Teesdale School pupil made headlines in the Teesdale Mercury back in July 1999 when he was just seven weeks old. At the time, he was the youngest person in Britain, possibly in the world, to undergo open heart surgery. He has since attended Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital for annual check-ups.
Mrs Hall said: “It is more than 17 years since he had that surgery. This was a big shock as he’s never had any problems.
“His heart did not stop beating but it went into such a poor rhythm which was why he collapsed. The top part of his heart was doing its bit but the bottom part was not keeping up. They said he’d had a cardiac episode.
“Doctors said that he has bounced back really well because of how fit he is and because everyone acted very quickly. Without the quick actions he could have had brain damage or organ damage. He is doing really well.”
The family met DC Edgar for the first time since the incident at the weekend.
DC Edgar, who works for Cleveland Police but lives in Teesdale, said: “I am fighting back a bit of tear to be honest. It is brilliant to see Lewis. I had seen CPR carried out a few times. It is never nice to see and I have never done it until then. I come across a lot of negative things in my job when things have not gone this way so to see Lewis is amazing. The one thing I can’t wait for is to see him back at the gym. I’m just glad I was there to help.”
DC Edgar also reiterated the importance of first aid training.
He said: “If anyone can attend a course they should. It is good for people to know what to do. You never know when you might need it. It shocked me but you just go into autopilot doing it.”
Mrs Hall said: “If Lewis had been at home I don’t know if I would have known what to do. You just don’t know when you might need first aid training.”
Lewis returned to college in Penrith on Monday (January 23) and is keen to get back to the gym as well as completing a first aid training course himself.
Mrs Hall said: “Doctors said he can do everything he did before. He just has to take it easy and build it up. Without there being someone there knowing what to do, this could have been a different story and we might not have had Lewis here.”
The family expressed their thanks to everyone who helped Lewis on the day.
Mrs Hall added: “We would thank everyone including the GSK staff and the staff at the gym. We have had lots of messages of support, even from people who we don’t know. It has been very touching to know that people are supporting and thinking about you.”