A gardener who performed CPR for the first time to save a man's life in east London has been recognised as a community champion.
Alan Coppin, 64, was going about his morning at Hermitage Court in South Woodford on November 11, completely unaware of the events that would soon unfold.
He had planned to mow the lawns at the front of the three-and-a-half acre estate, but had to change his plans after discovering there was no fuel.
Alan told our sister title London Now: "I went to fill up and then I realised there wasn't any petrol so that kind of ruled that out or probably I would have been in a different location. I wouldn't have heard it at all."
The 64-year-old heard a "hysterical noise" and moments later was flagged down by a woman reporting her partner had collapsed.
After following the woman inside, Alan discovered Tony Walsh on the floor of his kitchen after suffering a heart attack.
As the woman, Tony's partner Carla, went to his side on the floor, Alan called 999.
By this time, Tony had been without oxygen or a pulse for minutes already.
Whilst on the phone to the emergency services, Alan was instructed to perform CPR whilst paramedics made their way to the scene.
He recalled: "I said I'd never done it before. I've seen it but never done it before.
"I started doing it but I'll be honest with you I had no optimism. There was no movement, no life. I was just really going through the motions in my head.
"I thought, this 'man's already gone, there's nothing I can do'."
After some time performing CPR, Tony was showing some signs of response.
When the paramedics arrived, Alan removed himself from the room and saw Tony was later transferred into an ambulance.
He said: "After a couple of days Carla sent me a message saying that Tony was sitting up in hospital, and he was joking and taking the mickey with the nurses."
Just less than four months later on March 10, Alan attended the Mayor of Redbridge's Community Awards and was joined alongside Tony and Carla where he was recognised as a community champion.
Alan said: "In essence I just listened to the woman, I just kept doing what she told me.
"It felt very strange going home because most of my days are pretty routine.
"To go home and know that you contributed to saving somebody's life... to be honest with you for that moment of time it put me on such a good feeling about myself.
"It felt really surreal going up for the awards. Sometimes you look back at your life and there's certain moments in time that seem to surpass all other ones that you never forget."
According to Tony the London Ambulance Service said his heart was without a beat for 29 minutes, and was only restarted by the siphoning motion of the CPR carried out by Alan.
Before saving his life, Alan had only met Tony on a handful of occasions.
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