// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Dad who 'died' twice in front of young son saved by police officer
James had just finished a run when he collapsed while shopping
A dad who suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed in a shop said his 12-year-old son could have lost his dad if a "hero" off-duty police officer had not saved him.
James Ashley, 52, from Merthyr Tydfil, had just finished parkrun and was shopping in Cwmbran when he was hit by a "wave of dizziness" and fell to the floor on 4 April.
Sgt Adam Hollings from Gwent Police was nearby and immediately started CPR.
"I clinically died twice but by the time the paramedics got there, I was sitting up talking... the difference with Adam knowing what he was doing is that my son didn't lose his dad as a 12-year-old," he said, and called him an "absolute hero".
Hollings, who has spent 21 years on the force, was awarded a Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificate for his role in saving Ashley's life.
"We're very lucky to have the first aid training that we do, and if we can occasionally be in the right place at the right time to help people out, then fantastic," he said.
The 40-year-old from Abergavenny said that even though he was off-duty his training and life-saving skills kicked in and he acted on "autopilot".
He told someone in the shop to call an ambulance, and then used a defibrillator to start Ashley's heart.
James Ashley says his son could have lost his dad if Adam Hollings hadn't saved him