Runner who made miraculous recovery back on track

Sean Doyle, who had taken part in marathons, was about to run in a 5km event when he collapsed on the starting line.

Three doctors immediately started life-saving techniques and an emergency responder arrived within minutes before he was rushed to hospital.

Paramedics re-started his heart at the sixth attempt with a defibrillator and when he was taken to hospital he was kept alive thanks to the same equipment that saved footballer Fabrice Muamba.

Over the course of two hours the LUCAS Chest Compression System took over from manual compressions, keeping him alive by supplying his brain as well as his heart.

During this period, he suffered a second huge heart attack and his heart was re-started a further three times.

Mr Doyle, 45, later discovered Huddersfield Royal Infirmary had only received the LUCAS devices on trial two days before he was admitted, and he is now calling for more hospitals to equip their staff with the lifesaving kit.

The sales manager from Holmfirth was put into an induced coma for 48 hours but pulled through the trauma.

Earlier this month he completed a 10km trail run at Leeds Road Sports Complex with his nine-year-old son Oliver in just under an hour.

Mr Doyle said: “I’m forever indebted to the people that helped save my life. It was such an emotional time. Oliver would not come in to see me in hospital because he was too upset. It has been a tough few months but I have come through it.

“Everybody thinks I’m mad but it’s a matter of balancing the risks. I was sent for tests and the doctors gave me the OK to start running again, and now it’s all about living life to the full.”

Mr Doyle, who came close to death in May, added: “The chances of my survival were just 10 per cent.”