A restaurant manager has been presented with a special award after saving a man’s life by administering CPR – on his first day on the job.

East Anglian Daily Times: Daniel Challenor, of Wagamama's, with the award Picture: EAAADaniel Challenor, of Wagamama's, with the award Picture: EAAA (Image: Archant)

Daniel Challenor, 36, front of house manager at Wagamama's in Bury St Edmunds, has been given a Humane Society Award for his act of bravery last summer.

The heroic manager helped to save the life of Trevor Boughton, 68, who suffered a cardiac arrest at the restaurant on July 11, 2018.

Trevor had been having lunch with his daughter and grandchildren when he slumped on to the floor and was unresponsive.

As emergency services were called, Daniel went over to reassure the family when Trevor's daughter noticed her dad was not breathing and starting to turn blue. Daniel, who is first aid trained, knew he had to start CPR immediately.

East Anglian Daily Times: Gary Spitzer, from the EAAA, presents Daniel Challenor with the award Picture: EAAAGary Spitzer, from the EAAA, presents Daniel Challenor with the award Picture: EAAA (Image: Archant)

A defibrillator was quickly sourced from the Apex by Arc security as Daniel started mouth-to-mouth and CPR.

With help from a colleague, Daniel continued the CPR and used the defibrillator for 15 mins before the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) from Cambridge arrived at the scene.

The EAAA team then took over and Trevor was flown to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for treatment and went on to make a full recovery.

Daniel said: "I'm really overwhelmed to receive this award. I just did what anyone who knew how to do CPR would do in that situation and I'm just so glad for Trevor and his family that it worked.

"I was surprised how physically challenging it was to perform CPR for that long, but I didn't want to stop until help arrived.

"I'd always pushed to be first aid trained in the workplace and would encourage everyone to take up the opportunity if they can."

Gary Spitzer, critical care paramedic, who was part of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team that assisted on the day, said: "Without a doubt, if it wasn't for Daniel's quick thinking and perseverance - as it's not easy to do CPR for that amount of time - we wouldn't have been able to help.

"Daniel and Trevor are proof of how important bystander CPR is in a situation like this. We call it the chain of survival, and I'm really pleased to be able to present Daniel with this award in recognition of his life-saving actions.

"Unfortunately, with a lot of cardiac arrests that we see, if there isn't someone at the scene who can do CPR, we're just too late to have an effect on that patient's outcome.

"Currently we estimate one in 10 people in the East of England know how to perform CPR. We want to increase this by offering training across the region from our paramedics, to help save more lives."

For more information about EAAA's first aid training opportunities, visit www.eaaa.org.uk