A bus engineer from Ipswich has been hailed a hero after noticing that a colleague was suffering a stroke at work.
Chris Gordon, an engineering supervisor at First Ipswich, was praised for his quick-thinking when he saw the signs that 70-year-old Ivan Hazell was having a stroke.
Mr Gordon said: “I was inspecting buses between the depot and the workshop all morning so I hadn’t seen much of Ivan, who was working in the garage.
“He came into the workshop and I noticed his speech was slightly slurred and he was dribbling.
“I could see he wasn’t right and I wasn’t happy for him to carry on working.
“I thought he was having a stroke. My Dad has suffered four strokes so I knew what the symptoms were and what to look out for.”
Mr Hazell went home and after speaking with his neighbour, took himself to hospital.
He was checked over in A&E but was soon sent home. The next day his concerned wife phoned the doctor and he was sent back to hospital where he stayed for four days.
Doctors found a bleed in Mr Hazell’s neck and it was soon obvious that he had suffered a series of mini strokes.
Mr Hazell said: “I am a headstrong person. In 40 years I have only had a week off work due to sickness.
“I wouldn’t even take any medication if I had a cold or a headache. I am rarely ill, I am very lucky.
“I am so grateful for Chris’ actions, I feel I owe him my life.”
Mr Hazell, who worked for First as a body fitter for 39 years, retired from the company in September.
Chris Speed, business manager for First in Ipswich, said: “We applaud Chris for his quick thinking. His prompt actions may have saved Ivan’s life.
“Ivan is a first class worker and we will definitely keep in touch.”
Mr Speed said they wanted to thank Mr Hazell for his hard work and dedication over the past four decades.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here