CYCLIST Colin Fisher, who suffered a heart attack during a road race, is fighting fit after his life was saved by fellow competitors and paramedics.

Mr Fisher, 51, of Water Eaton Lane, Kidlington, was just two miles into the time trial at North Leigh, near Witney, when he felt unwell, returned to the start and collapsed.

Fellow Oxonian Cycling Club member Vic Prior, of Morrell Avenue, Oxford, called an ambulance on his mobile phone while he and fellow cyclist Alistair Batey used first aid training to give him mouth to mouth and heart massage. An ambulance crew arrived within minutes from Witney and the paramedics had to shock Mr Fisher's heart back to life. Mr Fisher's next-door neighbour Dave Brooks went with him in the ambulance, but his heart stopped for a second time on the way to hospital and he was resuscitated once more.

Mr Fisher is now one of few people in the area to have a £25,000 device inserted in his chest which constantly monitors his heart.

He is extremely grateful to his friends, paramedics, Dr Yavik Bashir and the cardiology team at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, as well as all the nurses, doctors and his family who helped him come to terms with what happened during his two weeks in hospital. He said: "They did say that if they hadn't got there as quickly as they did I wouldn't be talking to you today.

"I'm absolutely over the moon about everyone's help.

"I was lucky that my friends did know certain techniques. I shall ever be grateful for that."

Mr Fisher had never suffered from a heart problem until this bolt out of the blue but discovered that the cardiac arrest was caused by a failure in his electrical impulse system. His heart sped up to 280 beats a minute.

Mr Fisher has had to give up competitive cycling and his role as a qualified football referee, as well as having his driving licence suspended for a year.

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