A Newcastle College lecturer whose colleague's CPR saved her in March meets her ambulance crew as 200 students learn CPR for Restart a Heart Day.
A Newcastle College health lecturer who went into cardiac arrest at work in March, and survived because a colleague gave her CPR, is meeting the ambulance crew who treated her as more than 200 students at the college learn the same skills for Restart a Heart Day.
Karen Pyle, 53, collapsed during a meeting at the college on 25 March. Her colleague and friend Jessica Beni kept up chest compressions until paramedics arrived. North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), which answers every 999 call in North Tyneside, says Karen is now telling her story to the students “in the hope that they will one day be ready to do the same for someone else”.
Restart a Heart Day falls on Friday 16 October. It asks people to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator, so someone in cardiac arrest has the best chance of surviving until an ambulance gets there.
What happened on 25 March
Karen was meeting Jessica and a student. NEAS says everything seemed normal until Karen suddenly tilted her head and her breathing changed.
Jessica, 39, an assistant head of curriculum, realised something was wrong when Karen did not respond to her name. She asked the student to leave the room and tried to wake her. At first she was not sure whether Karen was having a stroke or another emergency, and called for help. One colleague rang 999 while Jessica stayed with Karen; another went for a defibrillator.
As Karen got worse, Jessica laid her on the floor and started chest compressions, with a colleague urging her to keep going. The ambulance service says she could feel Karen’s ribs breaking under her hands and remembers tears running down her face as she carried on until the crew arrived.
On the phone, NEAS health advisor Alison Ainsley talked Jessica through CPR, while communications officer Elliot Kalthoeber sent the ambulances. The crew who arrived shortly after the call were paramedic Thomas Hodge, newly qualified paramedics Lucy Richardson and Alastair Woods, specialist paramedic Graeme Cutty, ambulance support practitioners Richard Lishman and Neil (Bobby) Moore, and clinical team leader Andrew Holmes.
Karen was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary and then moved to the Freeman Hospital, where she spent a week and had a stent fitted. Recovery was hard: as well as the broken ribs from CPR she had low blood pressure, dizziness, breathlessness and fatigue. Her husband took a month off work to look after her, and she had support from a cardiac nurse before starting cardiac rehabilitation. She went back to work after about two and a half months so she could see her students before they left.
“This could happen to anyone at any time”
Karen said: “It was an ordinary day going to work feeling fine, and this could happen to anyone at any time. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time because if it had been a bit earlier, I could have been travelling to work or alone at home. I wanted the story told because this can happen to anyone and I am here to tell the story.
“It is scary to think about doing CPR and I don’t think you will ever be prepared for what happens. But being somewhere when it happens and not knowing what to do is scary too. The more people trained, the more lives that can be saved. You hope you never have to use it, but if the moment comes, you could save the life of a friend, family member, teacher, colleague or even a stranger.”
Jessica said: “When Karen collapsed, my training kicked in, but nothing quite prepares you for performing CPR on a colleague who is also a friend. It was emotional and frightening, but I knew I had to keep going. I could hear the 999 call handler encouraging us to continue, and I focused on doing everything I could until the ambulance crew arrived.
“Even if you have never performed CPR before, please don’t be afraid to try. If you’re unsure what to do, call 999 and listen to the instructions you’re given. You could make the difference between life and death.”
Andrew Parsons, head of curriculum for health and science at Newcastle College, said: “Karen’s cardiac arrest at work in March brought home how suddenly this can happen. Jess knew CPR and acted swiftly. We are very grateful for what she did. Without her knowledge and actions, things could have turned out very differently for Karen. Hosting Restart a Heart Day felt especially meaningful for our team because we have seen first-hand the difference these skills can make.”
6,200 cardiac arrests in a year
NEAS crews attended more than 6,200 cardiac arrests across the North East in 2025/26, the service says. Its health advisors helped thousands of callers give CPR over the phone and sent bystanders to more than 4,600 community defibrillators.
Paul Brolly, the service’s community resuscitation officer, said: “When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every second counts. Knowing what to do in those first few minutes can make the difference between life and death, which is why it is so important that people of all ages have the confidence to act. If someone collapses and is not breathing normally, call 999 immediately. Our health advisors will talk you through performing CPR while our crews are on their way, and a defibrillator can help give that person the best possible chance of survival.
“You do not need to be a healthcare professional to save a life. You could be a student, a colleague, a friend or a complete stranger. What matters is being ready to act when someone needs you.”
Where the training has been
Before the day, NEAS staff ran lifesaving sessions for young people at:
- Argyle House School, Sunderland
- Ponteland High School, Ponteland
- Darlington College, Darlington
- Redcar and Cleveland College, Redcar
- Bede Sixth Form College, Billingham
- Stockton Riverside College, Stockton-on-Tees
- William Leech Primary School, Lynemouth
- Whittingham Scouts and Senior Scouts, Whittingham
- Newcastle College (Rye Hill Campus), Newcastle upon Tyne
- Bellingham Middle School, Bellingham
- Newcastle Drayton School, Newcastle upon Tyne
None of the sessions this year was in North Tyneside.
The service also points to other survivors from the past year. Charlotte, a 48-year-old midwife from Ingleby Barwick, survived a cardiac arrest at home after her husband Phil called 999 and was guided by a health advisor. Peter Routledge, 72, from Bedlington, survived after members of the public rang 999, a nearby worker started CPR and used a defibrillator, and a health advisor helped on the phone. After Gary Callum survived a heart attack and then a cardiac arrest, his son Ryan raised more than £500 for the North East Ambulance Charity and the British Heart Foundation by taking on the Geordieman half-distance Ironman.
NEAS says it is also working on survival through research, including the SPIDERMAN trial, which is testing an adrenaline infusion pump after a patient’s heartbeat returns, and through data from ambulance defibrillators. Its community resilience work is backed by £142,000 from NHS Charities Together.
Paul Brolly added: “Every one of these stories begins with someone taking action. That person might be a colleague, a friend, a family member or a stranger. They may not be wearing a green uniform, but what they do in those first few minutes can make all the difference.
“Knowing CPR means you can give someone a chance while our crews are on their way. You could be the person who helps someone survive and return home to the people they love. The first person to respond to a cardiac arrest may not be wearing a green uniform. It may be you.”
What it means for you
- If someone collapses and is not breathing normally, call 999. The call handler will talk you through CPR while a crew is on the way, and if someone can fetch a defibrillator, use it.
- Learn it now, in about 15 minutes. The British Heart Foundation’s free RevivR tool teaches CPR online.
- The national figures are in the British Heart Foundation’s UK cardiovascular disease factsheet.
The full release is on the North East Ambulance Service news site.
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