An Ealing man who suffered a cardiac arrest in the Gurnell Leisure Centre changing rooms has praised the people he said "saved my life".

Bus driver Iain Wyllie was at the centre, in Ruislip Road East, on April 14 for this "first time in years" to use the sauna and steam room.

Having lost weight through a recent diet, the 57-year-old decided to use the treadmill and cycling machine before heading to the changing rooms for a shower.

But despite feeling "great" Mr Wyllie, who has lived in Northolt for 10 years but is originally from Falkirk, Scotland, suffered a cardiac arrest while he was getting changed.

It was the quick thinking of a fellow gym user who called for help that allowed staff members Thomas Arnold, Mark Cameron and Adolpho Ventero de la Pena to rush in with a defibrilator.

The trio used the device to deliver shocks before the London Ambulance Service (LAS) arrived at the scene and rushed him to Hammersmith Hospital.

'I was so emotional and so grateful'

An emotional Mr Wyllie, whose heart stopped an astonishing seven times before he incredibly recovered after two days in hospital, said: "It was the first time I had been to gym in years.

"I felt great and felt no pain, I was using the treadmill and and cycling machine.

"I had a shower, dried myself and I still felt great then lo and behold when I was putting my underwear back on I collapsed.

"A user found me, called Harry, and he called the staff at the reception and the rest is history - I woke up and saw an ambulance driver above me.

"I saw Harry on Thursday (May 26) for the first time and I said 'you saved my life, if you had not been there I would have been dead and it was your quick thinking in getting help that saved my life'.

"And I was so emotional and so grateful for the other staff who helped, they had had training the day before.

"I said 'thank you; you saved my life'."

'An opportunity everyone should have'

Staff at the centre, which is run by Better, a not-for-profit charitable social enterprise, Harry - the man who found Mr Wyllie collapsed - LAS paramedic Heather Cole and clinical team leader Tim Wilkinson were all reunited outside the gym on Thursday (May 26).

Better’s duty manager at Gurnell Leisure Centre, Mr Arnold, said: "It was great that we were able to use our training to get Iain conscious and talking before the paramedics arrived. "

And Mr Cameron, Better’s senior recreation assistant at the leisure centre, added: "Training in the use of a defibrillator is an opportunity everyone should have and vital in our job role, shown by us being able to bring Iain back to life."

Staff at the gym have said they will now work with Mr Wyllie to help him regain full fitness.