Thrillseeker's plea after heart attack on Pleasure Beach ride

A man had to be given life-saving treatment after he suffered a heart attack while half way through a ride at the Pleasure Beach.
Thomas Ormerod had a heart attack on the Infusion ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Thomas has launched an appeal to find the man who saved his life when he went into cardiac arrest.  :Thomas Ormerod had a heart attack on the Infusion ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Thomas has launched an appeal to find the man who saved his life when he went into cardiac arrest.  :
Thomas Ormerod had a heart attack on the Infusion ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Thomas has launched an appeal to find the man who saved his life when he went into cardiac arrest. :

Thomas Ormerod, 25, was in the middle the five loop suspended rollercoaster when his health took a dramatic turn for the worst and he fell unconscious.

But his girlfriend Charlotte Howell, who was celebrating her 23rd birthday, did not realise what had happened until the Infusion ride finished.

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When the ride stopped, a heroic man dragged Thomas off the rollercoaster, which can reach speeds up to 80 km/h, and gave him much-needed CPR before paramedics arrived.

Now Thomas is appealing for the unknown man to get in touch with him so he can thank him personally for saving his life.

He said: “I want to thank him for saving my life.

“I just want to have a chat with him.

“I just want to shake his hand rather than hearing stories about him, I would like to have a coffee and a chat with him.

“I don’t know how it happened because I was unconscious.

“I am just going off what people told me really.

“I just remember going to the Pleasure Beach and then being in the hospital but the bit in the middle is a blank to me.”

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Thomas was kept in hospital for three weeks after the incident and doctors couldn’t find any evidence of a problem with his heart.

Medics told Thomas that the incident was a freak occurrence that was caused by an abnormal heart beat and have fitted him with a defibrillator to try to prevent him from having another cardiac arrest.

Thomas said: “As far as they know it was just an abnormal heart beat.

“It wasn’t really the rollercoaster that caused the issue, it just happened on the ride.”

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Thomas, who is a quality assurance inspector, said his girlfriend Charlotte was in “hysterics” when she realised what had happened.

He said: “She just broke down, she couldn’t do anything,

“When the ride stopped she screamed for help.”

After his terrifying experience Thomas, from Haslingden, said he is reluctant to go on a rollercoaster again.

He said: “I probably won’t be going on one for a long time.

“I am probably not going to go on a ride again if I did go back to the Pleasure Beach.

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“I just feel in myself I do not particularly want to – it is traumatising to go back on one.”

The hero who saved Thomas is described by those at the scene as white, big and well-built and wearing a red and black football or rugby top.

Thomas said the man who saved his life can contact him by searching for his name on Facebook.

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