A grandfather was saved by hero passersby after he suffered a heart attack while running.

John Hooper was out for a jog when he collapsed outside Clober Gold Club on Craigton Road on May 18.

The father of one and grandfather of three was saved when a neighbour and several bystanders gave him CPR.

The retired firefighter said: “Thanks to a neighbour and several bystanders, I was given CPR immediately and a defibrillator was brought out from the golf club.

"Ambulance service personnel then arrived and continued to give me lifesaving treatment before taking me to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital."

Now, reunited with Sophie Barrett and Kayleigh McDonaald of the ambulance crew that saved his life, he shared his praise.

John said: “Were it not for the efforts of everyone involved I would not be here today."

"I am so grateful to the staff of Leverndale Ambulance Station.

"Having performed CPR several times myself when I was an operational fire officer, I never thought it would need to be performed on me.

"My family and I sincerely thank everyone involved and hope they know how much it means to us. 

"I am still here to be with them. I’ll be forever grateful.” 

Glasgow Times: John is pictured with Sophie, on the left, and KayleighJohn is pictured with Sophie, on the left, and Kayleigh (Image: Scottish Ambulance Service)

Around 3,200 people in Scotland have an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) every year with people in deprived areas twice as likely to have one. 

Today (October 16), the Scottish Ambulance Service launches its life-saving campaign Restart a Heart to teach people across Scotland vital resuscitation skills which can be used if someone goes into cardiac arrest.

Survival rates for OHCA have doubled in Scotland in the past eight years due to initiatives such as Restart a Heart and the public are being encouraged to sign up so we can improve further.  

Steven Short, the Scottish Ambulance Service’s OHCA Programme Lead, said: “Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest.

"Early CPR and the use of a defibrillator is essential to increasing the chances of survival. With most cardiac arrests happening at home, knowing CPR and being confident to act could save a loved one’s life.

"The chances of survival are reduced by around 10% for every minute without CPR, so it’s essential that as many people as possible sign up to learn these lifesaving skills.

"You never know when you might need them.”  

To find out more, click here.