Paramedics who saved the life of Etchingham man 'delighted' to attend his wedding

An ambulance crew who saved the life of an East Sussex man were 'delighted' to celebrate his wedding day with him.

37-year-old Chris Hinchcliffe collapsed in front of Tim Hodgson and Laura Huggett at his home in Etchingham, when they were assessing him for chest pain.

The crew, who work for South East Coast Ambulance Service were called to his home in October 2020, and gave Chris life-saving care before he was transferred to Eastbourne Hospital.

Laura and Tim provided advanced life support and used a defibrillator to keep him alive, and as a thank you Chris pledged to invite them to his wedding.

“I saw it as one of those things people say,” said Tim. “So, to actually receive the invite and for us to be able to join him with our partners and celebrate him tying the knot was a real pleasure and really humbling.

“Chris thanked us in front of the whole wedding party. While it’s a cliché that we were just doing our jobs, we’re both really proud and it was really kind for him to think of us. Attending Chris and Sasha’s wedding is a real highlight of my career and a first in 25 years!”

Paying tribute to Tim and Laura, Chris said: “I am convinced that if it wasn’t for Tim and Laura, I wouldn’t be here. Leading up to it was one of the most scary moments of my life.

“While I don’t remember anything of the actual collapse, Sasha says she saw Tim see something change it me even before the monitoring machine was attached. They both just jumped into action.

“Their knowledge, professionalism and compassion and how they looked after me has left a lasting impression on me and my family. I made a promise at the time that I would invite them to my wedding and I’m so glad they were able to celebrate with us.”