Heroes who saved a man who collapsed and fractured skull during park run honoured

Six heroes who rushed to the aid of a man in Stamford who suddenly collapsed due to a cardiac arrest during a run in Stamford have been honoured by the Royal Humane Society.

Tony Comber (59) was taking part in a club run with around 70 of his fellow Stamford Strides in February when he suddenly collapsed his heart stopped and he fractured his skull as he fell.

He has said that owes his life to the six life-save heroes who rushed to his help and played a major role in bringing him back from the brink of death.

First on the scene was Rupert Clifton, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon who saw that Mr Comber was not breathing and immediately began administering cardiac pulmonary resuscitation.

He was joined by retired rheumatologist Nicholas Sheehan who assessed the head injury and then cleared Tony’s airway. Nicholas Bertrand, Martin Candish, Stuart Hill and James McCloskey also played vital roles in the fight to save Tony.

Now the six have been awarded top national life-saving honours by the Royal Humane Society.

Rupert and Nicholas are both to receive Resuscitation Certificates from the Society.

Nicholas, Martin, Stuart and James have been awarded Certificates of Commendation from the Society.

The recommendation that they should receive awards came from Mr Comber himself. He said: “They’re all members of the running club and without a doubt they saved my life. They were brilliant.”

In addition to the awards and the praise of Mr Comber, Andrew Chapman, secretary of the Royal Humane Society has added his personal praise for the six rescuers.

“They were brilliant and their teamwork was impeccable,” he said. “Without doubt, it was their efforts that saved Mr Comber. They richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”

The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back more than two centuries. It is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.

It was founded in 1774 by two of the day's eminent medical men, William Hawes and Thomas Cogan. Their primary motive was to promote techniques of resuscitation.

As it emerged that numerous people were prepared to put their own lives at risk to save others, the awards scheme evolved, and today a variety of awards are made depending on the bravery involved.