Woman saved from pool after cardiac arrest

A woman who suffered a cardiac arrest while swimming has been reunited with the lifeguards and paramedics who saved her life.

Maggie Thurman, from Youlgrave in Derbyshire, collapsed during one of her regular swimming sessions at Hathersage Swimming Pool on 26 January 2026.

The 69-year-old - who was 68 at the time - began to sink under the water and was held up by another swimmer until she could be pulled from the pool. She was given CPR and several shocks from a defibrillator, East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) said.

"I owe so much to the lifeguards, bystanders and the EMAS crew who acted so quickly. Without them, things could have turned out very differently," Thurman said.

On the day she fell ill, she had picked up her friend, who also lives in the village, before the pair travelled to their usual swimming session.

"I don't remember anything about the swim itself, although one of the lifeguards later told me I dived in as usual," she said.

After she had a cardiac arrest, the lifeguards on duty called 999 and started CPR.

Paramedics Nicholas Hinchley and Simon King, and technician Asad Khan arrived, followed by critical care paramedic Karl Bexon from the Air Ambulance Service.

After continuous CPR and several shocks from a defibrillator, crews were able to stabilise her so she could be transported to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital, where she was taken for specialist treatment.

Thurman said: "The next thing I remember is being in hospital, but even that is hazy. I have no recollection of the first few days, although apparently I was messaging friends."

Her husband Ian was by her side and her son and daughter travelled from their homes in Bristol and Manchester to be with her.

"It was a very scary time for them because I was still not out of the woods when they arrived," she said.

EMAS said doctors carried out a series of investigations, including an angiogram, but found no blocked arteries, significant heart scarring or signs of heart failure.

Nine days after being admitted to hospital, she had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted, before returning home the following day.

Thurman completed a cardiac rehabilitation programme and four months after her cardiac arrest, was excited to return to swimming.

She said: "When I was allowed back in the water, I was thrilled. My family were not quite so pleased."

Josh Wragg, one of the lifeguards who helped to save Thurman, said: "It is wonderful that a skill I learnt through my lifeguarding means that Maggie is sat here today with us, is back swimming and doing the things that she loves."

Helen Kohlhardt, another lifeguard on duty that day, said: "It is a credit to the training that we have at the pool, that we knew immediately what to do and in some way, it felt like a scenario that had been put on for us to test our skills. It was like a reflex and we all just slotted into our roles instantaneously."

Looking back on the life-changing experience, she is keen to highlight the importance of CPR and the crucial role played by the people who helped her that day.

She believes the immediate CPR was critical to her recovery.

"Apparently, the most important part of resuscitation is the CPR, and my lifesavers were so good at it that I didn't suffer from hypoxia and therefore brain damage.

"It is so lovely to be here to say thank you to everyone because obviously I don't remember anyone from that day and it really is very special for me. This reunion is a really good way for me to process what happened."

Paramedic Nicholas Hinchley said: "Maggie's story is a brilliant reminder that CPR can save lives. On the day, the lifeguards were like a well-oiled machine, doing excellent CPR which meant that when we arrived on scene, she only needed a couple of shocks before she was trying to sit up and talk to us."

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