A BRAVE Weymouth cyclist and a group of friends have completed a cycling challenge to raise funds for an emergency service that saved his

life.

Dave Parker completed a 58-mile cycle ride in aid of charity from Broadmayne to Henstridge Airfield near Templecombe, the home of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance which saved his safe after suffering from a cardiac arrest in the middle of a cycle race.

At around 9pm on December 15, Mr Parker was taking part in a ‘Hare and Hounds’ race involving runners and cyclists, when he suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest and crashed into another rider as he was cycling out from Osmington Drove through to Broadmayne.

Mr Parker had a blockage in a major blood vessel which inhibited the blood flow to his heart, causing it to stop.

In the dark, in the middle of the Dorset countryside, he was completely unconscious, not breathing and had no pulse.

Luckily the man he had hit as he fell was a doctor who began CPR as soon as he realised something was wrong.

Mr Parker was then taken by air ambulance to Bournemouth after paramedics from the service attended and attached him to a defibrillator to shock his heart.

Mr Parker said: “It was an amazing challenge to do

with a great bunch of friends, the air ambulance is an

incredible service which delivers treatment to the scene so quickly.”

“I set off with 40 fellow cyclists from Broadmayne at 8.30am arriving at Henstridge shortly after 12noon and at the end, some of the group even got to go up in a light aircraft, it was a great experience.”

“What I’ve learnt from this is that every second counts.

“We are now planning to make this an annual tradition and keep it going.”

Mr Parker added that they were also planning a swim along the Jurassic Coast in September to raise further funds and awareness of the service.