Panic as granddad, 80, collapses at the gym and is 'dead on the floor' moments before workout

Ted Sturgeon, a former joiner, suffered heart failure and needed urgent attention from staff at Lifestyles Ellergreen, a gym in the Norris Green area of Liverpool

A grandad has praised the "heroes" at a leisure centre for saving his life after he suffered heart failure.

Ted Sturgeon, 80, collapsed at Lifestyles Ellergreen in Norris Green, Liverpool, was about to start his regular exercise routine last month. Staff, including duty manager Arron McCann, raced to Ted's aid and delivered CPR and administered a defibrillator shock to save the man's life.

Training officer Natalie Wainwright, attendant Heather Gibb were among other staff members who also helped stricken Ted, a regular at the gym in the city suburb. Ted, a former joiner, received the care within 90 seconds, he said.

Arron said: "We heard someone shout and went right out, his pulse was fading and we tried to reassure him as he was gasping for air. I've been in Lifestyles for 10 years and never had to use a defibrillator once until that day. It really impacted the staff but we took all the emotion out of it to make sure we could give him more time."

Ted showed signs of recuperation after mere minutes of CPR and a couple of defibrillator shocks - a vital timeframe where immediate action by the team proved paramount. The grandfather told Liverpool Echo he is hugely appreciative of the staff's quick thinking.

The dad, from Norris Green, said: "I was going to the locker and the next thing I'm on the floor, I was dead on the floor. It's not just what they did, it's how they did it, the compassion, they made me feel safe. They saved my life, I was dead, they're real heroes."

Ted, who now has an internal cardiac defibrillator following the incident, owes his nickname to a mix-up at Ellergreen centre. With another Eric already registered, staff began calling him by the affectionate moniker "Ted" instead. The name stuck, and so did the bond with the heroes who saved him; Ted regularly returns for heartfelt reunions and cups of tea while he takes a break from training.

Emotion overwhelmed him during those visits: "When I went back it was so emotional, they're a family. It comes right the way through. It's a brilliant place, it's the hub of the community."

Staff member Arron modestly responded to the events: "The way we see it, we were just doing our job. What really got me was when I phoned up to check in, they put me through to Ted at the hospital who said we had given him more time with his grandson. He's been in to see the team every day. It shows how vital these centres are, there's the social element of it."