A MIRACULOUS coincidence may have saved the life of a Penarth man who collapsed at a garage - after an ambulance took more than half an hour to respond to the emergency call.

Seventy-three-year-old Colin Ballett, who has a serious heart condition, was left fighting ofr his life after collapsing at the Penarth Tesco garage.

According to his wife Simone, Colin owes his survival to the fact that retired GP Dr Joshua Elias - once Colin's own doctor at Stanwell Road Surgery - was in the garage filling up his car with petrol at the time.

Colin, of Penarth Marina, collapsed when his pulse rate soared to 255 as he stopped at the garage on New Year's Eve.

Simone said: "I feel that Dr Elias, who by a miracle happened to be at the garage that day, was instrumental in keeping my husband alive in a life-threatening situation.

"I thank God daily for him being there.

"We explained clearly when we made the emergency call that it was a life-threatening situation, but after 30 minutes there was still no sign of an ambulance.

"We were on the point of making a third emergency call when it arrived - apparently from Cowbridge."

When the ambulance finally arrived, Simone said the crew would not use a defibrillator to assist her husband - explaining he would have to wait for hospital staff to apply it.

Simone said: "I just can't understand why they wouldn't use the defibrillator.

"I really would like to know if it's because the staff weren't trained to use the equipment or if it's ambulance trust policy not to use them."

Dr Joshua Elias said: "I asked for a defibrillator to come with the ambulance. Colin had gone into what we call orricular fibrillation with his pulse rate over 200.

"He was very ill and could have died on the spot.

"I certainly think it would help if all ambulance drivers were able to use defibrillators on the spot, with prior consent of hospitals."

Colin, a former British Telecom worker, is now in a stable condition in Llandough Hospital and is awaiting tests to find out more about his condition.