Teenager who saved his dad with CPR champions life-saving skills

A Sheffield DJ who saved his father’s life with CPR as a teenager is supporting the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Restart a Heart campaign that is teaching a new generation how to respond to a cardiac arrest.

Herbie Colton was just 15 when his dad, Nigel, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at their home. Having learned CPR through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Herbie recognised that he needed to act and carried out continuous chest compressions for around eight minutes until paramedics arrived.

Paramedics used a defibrillator to restart Nigel’s heart, and he went on to make a good recovery. Nine years later, Nigel continues to do well and Herbie has built a career as a DJ, travelling around the world.

Herbie wants to share his story to help show people why learning CPR matters. He is also planning to fundraise for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity, which supports the campaign, as a way of giving back for the care his dad received and to boost CPR education.

Herbie said: “Nine years have passed since my dad had his cardiac arrest, and I don’t think I realised at the time just how serious it was. I was simply grateful that I had received some training and knew I needed to start CPR straight away.

“My dad would not be here today if I hadn’t known what to do, so I’m really proud to support the Restart a Heart campaign and urge everyone to learn the basics of CPR.”

Nigel, who lives in Sheffield and works part-time with the Royal Mail, said: “I will always be incredibly grateful that Herbie knew how to perform CPR and had the confidence to act when it mattered. It is such an important skill and my story shows the difference it can make. Thanks to his quick actions, I am still here and able to live life to the full - enjoying holidays, cycling regularly and keeping fit. I would encourage everyone to learn CPR because you never know when you might need it.”