A Somerset care home worker has thanked his colleagues for saving his life after he suffered a heart attack.

Facilities manager Gary Smith, 54, of Brunelcare’s Glastonbury Care Home, had just started work when he began to feel chest pain.

“I felt absolutely fine when I arrived at work but then I started to feel a little chest pain,” Smith told Caring Times.

After the pain became worse Smith went to inform his deputy manager Thomas Knauer who requested assistance from senior nurse Sony Kurian who then called an ambulance following her observations.

“Sony made sure I was breathing properly and was keeping calm and staying alert and awake until the ambulance arrived,” Smith said.

The facilities manager suffered five more heart attacks on the way to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton but is now recovering well following treatment.

“If it wasn’t for the quick reactions of Tom and Sony I probably would have not have made it,” Smith said.

“I think they are absolutely amazing. They prevented me from losing my life.

“We are all very close and like one big family at the home. We all jump in when we are needed.”

Now well on the recovery trail Smith said he hopes to be back at work by early December.