Rotherham firefighters have helped to save the life of a man who had suffered a suspected heart attack.

Firefighters were tackling a blaze in the garden of a house in East Dene, Rotherham when they were told that a man in his 60s had collapsed with a suspected heart attack nearby.

Two firefighters quickly rushed to the man’s aid and put their medical training into practice to perform cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 15 minutes until paramedics arrived. The man was then taken to hospital by ambulance.

Station Manager Jonathan Dyson, who attended the incident, said: “Such a quick thinking, professional response not only highlights the exceptional and broad skills our frontline staff possess, but also underlines the variety of work our crews can be called upon to carry out in the line of duty. Our thoughts are with the casualty and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.”

Fire crews were called to the garden fire on Brook Road at around midday and left the scene at around 1.45pm. The cause of the fire is under investigation.