Hartlepool North East Ambulance Service volunteer who helped save golfer's life after cardiac arrest wins award

David Cairns, a community first responder with the North East Ambulance Service, was given an award for outstanding achievement at a ceremony celebrating the dedication of hundreds of the ambulance service’s volunteers.

He was off duty in April when he received an alert via the GoodSam app to a man who had collapsed at the town’s High Throston Golf Course.

When he arrived, Jamie Barnecutt, 43, who lives at the course was giving the man CPR after seeing him collapse.

Jamie’s nephew, Kai Cannell, 18, who also works at the golf club, had dialled 999.

David then used his defibrillator and continued first aid until the ambulance crew arrived, which included David’s son Elis in his first week on the road as a qualified clinical care assistant.

The North East Ambulance Service said: “David showed great professionalism throughout which was acknowledged by the specialist paramedic that was also on scene.

"Thanks to David the patient was taken to hospital and David has heard that he was expected to make a full recovery."

At the time of the incident David, 49, who is also co-founder of Hartlepool charity DS43 Community Defibrillators, told the Mail: "He was unconscious, he wasn’t breathing, he was in cardiac arrest.

"Jamie and the other golfers were great, they were fantastic, they were doing a great job when I arrived.”

David is one of 108 community first responders who are based across the region and are trained to deal with emergencies prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

Over the last year they have attended well over 500 incidents and have collectively given over 47,000 to the service in 2022/23.

It was David’s own experience with a community first responder who responded to his poorly dad that made him join the service as a volunteer.

Upon receiving his award at a ceremony at the Royal Station Hotel, in Newcastle, he said: “I think it is great that we are recognised and that everyone does an amazing job.

"I’m really pleased to have received this award.”