‘ANGELS in disguise’ have been thanked for saving the life of a man who collapsed at a brass band championship.

Joy Mooney, from Great Sankey, said life would not have been worth living without her husband Andrew, who suffered a cardiac arrest after performing at the event.

His life was saved by Sylvia Thomas, Jane Gibbons and Geoff Dalton, members of Knutsford First Responders, who were at the event in Blackpool as event medics.

They were called when Andrew, 56, became unwell, and as an ambulance was being called he suffered a cardiac arrest.

However within a minute of Sylvia and her colleagues using a defibrillator to administer a shock across Andrew’s heart and after starting chest compressions Andrew regained consciousness.

He is now on the road to recovery, and his wife Joy sent a heartfelt letter to Sylvia, Jane and Geoff, from Knutsford, to thank them for saving Andrew’s life.

Joy said: “Words cannot express how grateful I am to you. If I said I worshipped the ground my husband walks on it would be an understatement. He is my life and without him my world would end. To be without him would be unthinkable.”

Sylvia said: “Andrew had just finished performing when he started to feel unwell. We were called, and he had all the symptoms of a heart attack. As we were dialling 999 he went into cardiac arrest.

“We administered a shock across his heart using a defibrillator, then started chest compressions, and within a minute Andrew’s eyes opened.

“It’s the most wonderful feeling when someone comes back and we have given them a future. I was in tears when I read the letter from Joy – it’s beautiful.”

Andy is chairman and BBb bass player of Wingates Brass Band, and Joy is band treasurer/administrator.

She was with Andrew at the Winter Gardens, where he was performing in The North West Regional/Area Brass Band Competition.

Joy added: “Andy is now on the road to recovery, and will make a full recovery with limited medication to help his heart – all thanks to our trio of angels in disguise. Thank you for saving Andy’s life and mine.

"Without him my life would not be worth living.”