'A stranger saved my life when my heart stopped beating'

A man who suffered a cardiac arrest in Douglas has thanked the stranger who saved his life after finding him unconscious and performing CPR.

Francesco Romagnosi, 48, collapsed on Peel Road, between Brown Bobby and Douglas Railway Station, on July 28 while returning home from work.

He was found by local resident Keith Mourant, who immediately sought help and began resuscitation.

Mr Mourant, who has previous experience working with the ambulance service, said he initially called out to Mr Romagnosi to check whether he was all right but received no response.

‘I walked a bit further, shouted him again, and got no response,’ Keith said. ‘Then I went down to look at him and realised he had a heart attack.’

Mr Mourant said he tried to attract the attention of passing motorists before stopping a builder in a van and asking him to call 999.

He then returned to Mr Romagnosi, checked his pulse and breathing, and began CPR, following instructions from a nurse on the emergency call.

When Mr Romagnosi stopped breathing during the incident, Mr Mourant continued performing chest compressions.

He said he eventually managed to get him breathing again and remained at the scene for approximately an hour as the emergency services attended.

‘The last time I was shown first aid was maybe 28 years ago,’ Mr Mourant added.

‘Personally, I’ve got mental health problems and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), so I was wondering if I was running out of oxygen myself.’

Mr Romagnosi said he had little recollection of the incident and only learned what had happened afterwards.

He had been working in a temporary role for the Cabinet Office and was travelling home by bus from Noble's Hospital, stopping at Tesco before continuing towards his home near Brown Bobby.

‘It was a normal working day, and then I just found myself in the hospital at Noble's,’ he said.

He was subsequently transferred to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, where doctors implanted a defibrillator to protect him against further potentially dangerous heart rhythms.

Mr Romagnosi said medical investigations had not yet established what had caused the incident.

He described himself as someone who exercises regularly and pays close attention to his diet, adding that he had not previously experienced symptoms that might have led him to expect such an event.

He said his gratitude towards Mr Mourant was difficult to put into words.

‘He’s my second father as he gave me my life again,’ he said.

‘I would like to publicly thank Keith. Every time I’ve seen him since I’ve given him a hug.

‘I also want to thank the ambulance, Noble's Hospital and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital for all of their help. The consultant cardiologist Patrick Hayle also saved my life.

‘It’s scary to think that something like that can just happen at any moment.’

Mr Romagnosi also expressed concern that other people had passed the scene without stopping to help. He said he did not know why others had not intervened, suggesting some may have assumed he was intoxicated or involved in another kind of incident.

‘Human life is a value that should go over everything else,’ he added.