A biker who suffered heart problems then collapsed at the side of the road was miraculously saved when police managed to find him trapped under his vehicle and hidden under bushes. Alan Wright, 75, lost control of his three-wheeled motorcycle and was stuck beneath his scooter.
He feared he would die before being found. The pensioner was travelling back from a holiday in France to his home in Derbyshire when he started suffering breathing problems on the A2 near Dover, Kent.
As the retired IT worker suffered severe nausea - another early sign of heart failure - he then fell and was trapped beneath the bike. Mr Wright was drifting in and out of consciousness while covered by thick undergrowth that prevented other passing motorists spotting him in trouble.
He was able to call 999 and speak to police who tried to get a precise GPS location from his mobile phone. When the police arrived they switched on their sirens as they searched for Mr Wright in the hope he would hear them as they drove past.
The call handler stayed on the line with the stricken biker. After around 45 minutes, PC Andy Green found him seriously unwell where he was rushed to hospital.
Mr Wright, who lives in Ripley, Derbyshire, lost control and left the carriageway at around 7.20pm on August 16. Speaking after making a full recovery, he said: "I was in a very bad situation.
"I couldn’t get up or see the road. There were no houses in sight and nobody was around to help me.
"I was drifting in and out of consciousness and I felt like my heart was on the verge of giving out. I was very concerned that I might be about to die."
Mr Wright was rushed to hospital and thanked police for saving his life. He said: "If it were not for PC Green having my call patched through to his radio, I probably would not have been found.
"That is what saved my life. An ambulance crew arrived shortly afterwards and I was deemed to be in real danger of heart failure.
"I was rushed to hospital where they managed to get my heartbeat back to normal. I have now made a full recovery, but I could have quite easily died by that roadside.
"It is full credit to Kent Police and the medical professionals who treated me that I am alive to tell the story today." PC Green, from Kent Police's Roads Policing Unit, said it was lucky Mr Wright was able to hear the sirens despite being very ill.
He added: "Protecting life is the top priority for every police officer and I am delighted Mr Wright has now made a full recovery after suffering such a serious incident. Collisions on the road are normally very easy to spot.
"But on this occasion there was nobody who could help us find Mr Wright apart from himself. Fortunately he was able to listen out for our sirens despite being in a very serious condition indeed."
