Cycle response life saver

Little did paramedic Mark Plummer realise when he went to work one day that he would end up on the front page of the Eastern Daily Press, Norfolk's daily paper, the following week.

Mark, a member of the new cycle response unit (CRU) covering Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft during the summer season, was called to the aid of 93-year old pensioner Eleanor Hicks, who was choking.

Mrs Hicks stopped breathing and suffered a cardiac arrest after part of a doughnut became stuck in her throat. Mark was summoned to the scene and removed the obstruction. Mark and the ambulance crew carried out resuscitation before taking her by ambulance to the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston.

Mrs Hicks has made a complete recovery and she and her carers are very grateful for the treatment she received. Carol King, a manager from the Windmill Care Home where Mrs Hicks lives, had been with her when she started to choke and tried to clear it. She said: "It was very terrifying. Her face had puffed up and she went blue.

Mark was very, very good. Everyone here is extremely grateful for what he did."