Bedworth couple reunited with ambulance crew after life-saving CPR
Karie Cairns began CPR on her husband Jamie after he collapsed at home
A Coventry woman who learned CPR just four weeks before her husband suffered a cardiac arrest has been reunited with the ambulance crews who helped save his life.
Jamie Cairns, from Bedworth, collapsed at home on 6th July 2026 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
He had been out walking the couple's dog when he returned home and collapsed in the kitchen.
His wife, Karie Cairns, immediately began CPR while their nephew called 999.
The combined efforts of Karie, ambulance crews and hospital staff helped Jamie survive, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.
Three months later, the couple and their family were reunited with the ambulance crews who treated him, giving them the chance to say thank you in person.
Coventry paramedics Samantha Hall, Michelle Harris and Michael Haley, along with technician Scott Kenzie, attended the medical emergency in Bedworth and met Jamie and Karie again in a reunion at Coventry Hub.
Karie said "it was terrifying seeing Jamie like that".
"I'd done some CPR training just four weeks earlier and it was like I went into autopilot," Karie said.
"I knew I had to do something while my nephew called 999 and we waited for help to arrive. It was a huge relief when the ambulance crews got there and I'm so grateful that Jamie is still here today," she said.
Jamie said he feels "like the luckiest man alive".
"There really aren't enough words to thank everyone who helped save me, from Karie and our family to the ambulance crews and hospital staff," Jamie said.
"Being able to meet the people who cared for me and thank them in person meant a lot. I wouldn't be here without them," he said.
Paramedic Michael Haley, who attended the incident, said it was "fantastic to see Jamie doing so well and enjoying life again".
"Cardiac arrest survival depends on a chain of actions happening quickly. Karie recognised something was wrong and started CPR immediately, which gave Jamie the best possible chance before we arrived," Mr Haley said.
Paramedic Michelle Harris said Karie's actions "made a real difference that day".
"We were able to build on the care she had already started," Ms Harris said.
"We'd encourage everyone to learn CPR. You never know when you might need it, but those skills could help save a life," she said.
Paramedic Samantha Hall said it "isn't often we get to see what happens once we hand a patient over into the care of the hospital".
"So being able to meet Jamie, Karie and their family under such positive circumstances is fantastic," Ms Hall said.
Technician Scott Kenzie said meeting Karie, Jamie and their family was "really lovely".
"I'm very glad to see Jamie doing so well," Mr Kenzie said.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is encouraging more people to learn CPR this Restart a Heart Day, as immediate bystander intervention can significantly increase a person's chances of surviving a cardiac arrest.
Karie hopes that by sharing their story, more people will feel inspired to learn the life-saving skill that helped save her husband's life.
More than 68,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK each year, according to West Midlands Ambulance Service.