“Without help my family would be without a father”: Cardiac arrest survivor braves descent from Tottenham Stadium for charity

A father-of-three who survived a cardiac arrest has taken on a thrilling descent from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with his daughter to raise money for the London Ambulance Charity.

Rob Schofield, 59, was on his way back from a swim with his wife and friends when he collapsed in Tooting Common.

His wife Elizabeth screamed to attract help. Bystanders, including someone who learnt chest compressions when they were 15, rushed to his rescue by quickly starting resuscitation.

Meanwhile Rob’s friend called 999 and a call handler guided the bystanders through effective chest compressions.

Rob said: “Taking part in the abseil was amazing but also a bit scary.

“I really wanted to thank the London Ambulance paramedics for what they did for me.”

He added: “I’m so grateful to be alive. It was scary for my wife and also my daughters, as they shouldn’t have to think about their parents dying.

“Early intervention from bystanders is so important because without them my family would be without a husband and a father.

“I’m incredibly glad that there were so many people around helping out. My ribs were a bit sore afterwards but that’s a small price to pay!”

A cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency where the heart stops pumping blood and oxygen around the body.

London Ambulance Service Paramedic Will was first on scene and used a defibrillator to deliver an electric shock to restore the rhythm of Rob’s heart.

He was joined by ambulance crew Suzie and Emma who took over chest compressions from the bystanders. They took him to St George’s Hospital where he was admitted to intensive care for two days.

And following his recovery, Rob recently met the ambulance crews at Wimbledon Ambulance Station for an emotional reunion.

Will said: “it was lovely meeting Rob and his family.

“It’s rare that we meet our patients so it was a really positive experience for us and the family.

Rob, who used to work in humanitarian aid but now looks after people at a care home in Fulham, added: “It was really special to meet the ambulance crews and to be able to look at them in the eye and say a heartfelt ‘thank you’.

“The reunion was incredibly touching and all the crews are so lovely and super kind.

“It helped us process the trauma as a family.”

Rob’s wife Elizabeth Schofield said: “Rob could so easily have died that day had it not been for the quick actions of so many people.

“I cannot thank them enough. They are all heroes.

“Raising money for the London Ambulance Charity is the least we can do in return!”

Samantha Palfreyman Jones, Head of Community Resuscitation at London Ambulance Service, said: “When someone has a cardiac arrest, every second matters and those moments before an ambulance arrives are crucial for a person’s chance of survival.

“Being able to perform resuscitation is a simple skill which anyone can learn. It takes only minutes to learn how to do chest compressions and use a defibrillator.”

Money raised at the Big Stadium Abseil will directly fund defibrillators and CPR training for local communities and help frontline crews when they need wellbeing support.

Help us raise money for our life-saving Heart Starters campaign and our frontline crews on our dedicated London Ambulance Charity website here.