A BLAENAU Ffestiniog woman has won a Welsh Ambulance Service award for saving the life of a man whilst off duty.

More than a dozen awards were presented at a virtual event to staff members from every part of the service, in every corner of Wales, and picking up the People’s Choice award was Erika Davies.

When Kenneth Lyon had chest pains at his Blaenau Ffestiniog home, his quick-thinking wife Jennifer went to fetch neighbour ambulance worker Erika.

The off-duty emergency medical technician, who had just arrived home from a run, hurried to her neighbour’s home to discover that he was in full cardiac arrest.

Erika said: “I had just finished an overtime shift and dropped my son’s car to the garage before running home. I was meant to run to my mum’s, but I automatically jogged the two miles to my house. Before I had the chance to shower, I heard this massive bang on the door.”

Kenneth’s wife Jennifer explained that her husband was unwell, and the pair ran back to the address to find Kenneth now unconscious in a kitchen chair.

Erika said: “I did the basics, so I got him on the floor and checked his airway. Kenneth was in cardiac arrest so I began chest compressions and asked Jennifer to phone 999.”

Call handlers directed Jennifer to a nearby primary school to retrieve a defibrillator.

Erika said: “While I continued CPR, I gave Jennifer instructions on how to get the defib pads out. She tried to stick them to Kenneth’s body but had to get a razor to shave his chest because they weren’t sticking. Once attached, I listened for the defibrillator instructions, and a shock was advised.”

Erika delivered one shock to Kenneth, before her colleagues from the Welsh Ambulance Service and Wales Air Ambulance arrived to take over. The father-of-one was taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, where he underwent life-saving surgery to insert a stent.

Kenneth said afterwards: “I’m very lucky to have survived this cardiac arrest and it’s all thanks to Erika.

“What I can say is, without these defibrillators, people would not survive.”

Commenting on all the award winners, chief executive, Jason Killens, said: “Working for the ambulance service is not just any job – it’s a job that makes a real difference. When people are at their lowest ebb, we are the people to whom they turn, and it takes remarkable people to do what our staff and volunteers do day in, day out.

“The WAST Awards give us an opportunity to celebrate everything that is great about this organisation, as well as the perfect chance to simply say ‘thank you’ – two words that mean so much.”

Chair Colin Dennis added: “It’s more important than ever to say a big thank you to our people, without whom Wales’ national ambulance service would simply not exist.

“Often, our people don’t realise that what they do is special, so the WAST Awards are an excellent way to shine a light on their work and recognise that effort.

“I’d like to extend a huge and heartfelt congratulations to all of our winners.”