A young Falmouth man who suffered a cardiac arrest while helping his mother with the gardening has met and thanked paramedics who saved his life on afternoon last month.

Tim McCurrach, 22, was at his mother's house on March 16 and went to refill a machine, but when he did not return his mother Emma went to look for him and found him struggling to breathe.

She said: "It was horrendous, absolutely horrendous. I was screaming for help, and a neighbour came, and in between me shouting and the neighbour arriving his heart stopped, right in front of me."

She praised the help of neighbours Andy McGinn, who helped her in performing CPR, and Debbie Houghton who dialled 999 to get help.

While they were performing CPR, paramedic Simon Pascoe was on his way, arriving four minutes after the initial call, followed by his colleagues Lindsay MacQuarrie, Grahame Barton and Mike Chapman.

They used a defibrillator to get Timothy breathing again before performing lifesaving treatment at the scene. He was then taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, spent five days recovering before being discharged.

Following his recovery, Tim and his mother visited Falmouth Ambulance Station to say thank you to the team that saved his life, taking gifts, a cake, and a card as a token of their gratitude.

Emma said it had been horrific "being the parent in the room, being told 'they might not make it'", but "everyone there was so supportive... we can't thank the A&E staff enough."

Tim said: "It's just amazing to know how amazing these people can be when it comes to things like this. More people should have hope in their ambulance crews.

"I'm extremely grateful, words can't describe how grateful I am.

Although he doesn't remember the incident, he said it is "still sinking in" how serious the situation was, something that was brought home to him when he woke up to see the "upset" faces of his family and friends at his bedside.

He added: "That's when it hit me, how different it could have been. If my mum didn't find me, if I'd been up at my caravan, nobody would have found me for days."

Paramedic Simon Pascoe said Tim’s case shows the importance of administering basic life support to someone in cardiac arrest, either as CPR or with a defibrillator, as soon as possible, and said: "I have no doubt that the CPR carried out prior to our arrival made all the difference to his onward recovery.

"Unfortunately, survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest sufferers are still relatively low, so it is fantastic that Timothy has made such a quick recovery. So often we never have the opportunity to find out how patients are after we convey them to hospital, so being able to meet him in person is fantastic and we are really grateful to them for taking the time to visit the station and thank us."

Emma added: "We cannot express our gratitude and thanks enough to the 999 services. without the quick response of the paramedics and the outstanding capabilities of the doctors, nurses and medical staff in resus and intensive care at the Royal Cornwall Hospital the outcome may have been different.

"Thanks also to the 999 call centre and all my neighbours, especially Debbie Houghton who made the 999 call and Andy McGinn for assisting me in CPR."