Keen cyclist Graham had a cardiac arrest in July 2023 whilst out cycling with friends. He collapsed and came off his bike on a roundabout heading into Windsor. He is convinced his life was saved by high emergency service presence in the town on that day because Joe Biden, who was US President at the time, was in Windsor to meet King Charles at Windsor Castle.
Graham explains, “I suddenly started feeling very dizzy. It was like nothing I’d experienced before. I felt like everything went wobbly and I instinctively knew I was going to fall off my bike, I couldn’t maintain my balance. Everything went yellow and I couldn’t see properly. I remember thinking: ‘This isn’t good.’ I don’t remember hitting the ground…
This is what friends have told me happened. After I collapsed a couple of policemen quickly arrived. An off duty paramedic was also walking by and he started CPR, supported by the police. I ended up with a broken collarbone from the fall. The police had put a message out that they needed a defibrillator and an armed response vehicle on standby nearby had one. It took two shocks to restart my heart.
Joe Biden and his entourage were in Windsor that day to visit King Charles at Windsor Castle. So really, I have both of them to thank for saving my life! I might not be there if there hadn’t been heightened police/emergency service presence on hand to help that day.”
Graham is now back cycling and is a passionate advocate for The Circuit, to ensure that ambulance services have visibility of the nearest defibrillator when 999 is called.
