A Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) dispatcher was airlifted to hospital by his colleagues after suffering a major heart attack at work.

The life saving actions of the friends and co-workers of Chris Solomons were being shown on a TV programme about the work of the charity tomorrow – BBC1’s Helicopter Heroes.

Mr Solomons was feeling unwell when he arrived for work at the Air Support Unit at Leeds-Bradford International Airport, on July 24.

He thought at first he was suffering indigestion but paramedics James Vine and Lee Davison ran tests and discovered he was suffering a major heart attack.

His condition rapidly deteriorated, he lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest.

The paramedics resuscitated their colleague and he was airlifted to hospital.

Eight weeks after his heart attack Mr Solomons is said to be making a good recovery.

He said: “I was so scared, the pins and needles were horrendous. It was then I realised there was something very wrong and it wasn’t just indigestion as I had first thought.

“All the guys at work have been so supportive – I’m missing them all. I will never be able to put into words just how grateful I am to Lee and James for saving my life that day.

“And I can’t forget our chief pilot Steve Cobb who got me to hospital for the vital treatment I needed. I must also thank John Anderson who was filming with the Helicopter Heroes team that day – he was a great help to the guys.”

Paramedic Mr Vine said: “Chris isn’t only a colleague but a good friend to everyone at the YAA. So when he arrived at work on the Saturday morning it was awful to see him in so much pain. Although it was a really difficult situation for Lee and I to be in, we were just glad that we were in the right place at the right time to be able to help him.”

The Helicopter Heroes series follows the work of the two Yorkshire Air Ambulances as they are deployed to help seriously ill and injured patients throughout the region, providing rapid transport to specialist treatment centres.

The episode featuring Mr Solomons is being shown on BBC1 tomorrow at 9.15am.