'My heart stopped when my car fell on top of me - without my neighbours, I wouldn't be here'

Jack Thomas, 21, has had an emotional reunion with the heroic neighbours and medics who saved him after his heart stopped, when he became trapped under his car following a horrific accident.

The young man was carrying out repairs at his home in on June 27 when the jack supporting his car gave way, leaving him pinned beneath it. His quick-thinking neighbour, Nicole Taylor, noticed the distressing scene and called for help, with nurse Sasha Wyn Evans, among others, dashing to Jack's aid.

They managed to lift the car, freeing him, and Sasha immediately commenced CPR as Jack lay unconscious and not breathingactions that were integral to his survival. The Welsh Ambulance Service's very own Ian Parry, upon arrival, found the group performing chest compressions on Jack.

He encouraged them to continue, acknowledging their life-saving response by saying: "When I arrived I saw Sasha who was carrying out chest compressions on Jack, with Emyr taking over and I told them to keep going - Jack now had a pulse again. The fact CPR was carried out straight away meant they saved his life."

Flown to , Jack faced grim prospects, having been told he had less than a day left to live. Miraculously, though, he bounced back in less than two weeks, ready to express his gratitude to those who turned dire circumstances into a chance for renewed life, reports.

Jack recounted his memory lapse concerning the incident, saying: "I don't remember what happened. I just woke up in Stoke five days later and had no idea how I'd ended up there."

He expressed immense thankfulness to his lifesavers: "I'm so grateful to my neighbours and the emergency responders for what they did for me that day. Without them I wouldn't be here."

Speaking about his quick comeback from the ordeal, Jack credited the early CPR he received: "I've made such a good recovery since leaving hospital, everyone is so surprised at how quick I'm back on my feet and starting work again soon. I think it was hugely down to the fact I was given CPR so quickly."

Sasha, deeply involved in Jack's rescue, reflected on the vital role of CPR training after the dramatic episode. She modestly shared her thoughts: "It's really hard for me to take credit for something that you have been essentially trained to do as a nurse. However, not once do you think your morning would consist of helping your neighbours free someone from beneath a car and eventually having to give chest compressions. Anyone's worst nightmare, nurse or not."

She now champions the cause of learning CPR, highlighting its lifesaving potential: "Personally, I feel this incident has really highlighted the importance of attending some sort of emergency lifesaving training, and would urge anyone to attend as you never know when you will need to use it."

Carl Hudson, a critical care practitioner with the Wales Air Ambulance, praised Sasha's campaign for wider CPR knowledge following an extraordinary incident where Jack was saved by quick-thinking neighbours. Carl stated: "Sadly, it is not often we see a good outcome in an incident such as this and this is down to the fact that Jack's neighbours came to his aid so quickly and CPR commenced straight away."

"It's been fantastic seeing Jack again and seeing him look so well after what happened. I also echo what Sasha says, it is really important for everyone to learn CPR. It's a vital tool to have if you are unfortunately ever in a situation that you would need to use it but as we see with Jack, without that he may not have had such a good outcome."

Jack's mother Angharad expressed her astonishment at her son's recovery, noting: "It's incredible how well Jack is after what happened. He suffered broken ribs, [a broken] collarbone along with a ripped spleen but things could have been so much worse. We can't thank our neighbours and the emergency services enough. They are amazing people."

"We were even escorted by the police to the hospital in Stoke so we could be there with Jack as soon as possible. It was just amazing what everyone did."

In response to the lifesaving efforts of those involved, Jack, accompanied by his family and friends, is set to embark on the Welsh 3 Peaks Challenge on September 20, 2025, seeking donations to support the Wales Air Ambulance and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team.