A KINCARDINE man has inspired his workplace to raise £25,000 for heart disease research after surviving a cardiac arrest.

Steven Clark had been riding his bike from his home to Pitlochry when, one mile from his destination, he suffered a heart attack and then went into cardiac arrest.

Two passers-by found Steven unconscious, called 999 and performed CPR for 29 minutes before he was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee by air ambulance.

The 59-year-old was later diagnosed as having suffered a heart attack, where the left main artery of the heart is severely blocked.

Once in hospital, doctors fitted Steven with a stent to reopen the blockage and he has since made a good recovery.

Now, his employers PDM Buildbase Scotland have set themselves the ambitious target in support of the British Heart Foundation (BHF), after Steven’s terrifying experience one year ago.

Their fundraising efforts also coincide with the charity’s 60th birthday this year.

Steven said: “I don’t remember before or after I collapsed, it’s strange. When I woke up and was told what happened, I was in total shock.

“I am so grateful to the people who stopped to give me CPR until the paramedics arrived and to all the medical teams who looked after me.

“I know how lucky I am to still be here – and it’s all down to them.”

Steven says the life-changing experience has prompted him to want to do more to raise awareness of research into heart and circulatory diseases and of learning CPR.

He says recent events at the European Football Championships involving Denmark’s Christian Eriksen have also demonstrated the importance of knowing what to do when someone has a cardiac arrest.

“My life was saved that day because two people ran to help me,” he continued. “They knew what to do and they didn’t hesitate.

“Anyone can learn CPR, it takes less than half an hour and it could mean the difference between life and death for someone.”

James Jopling, head of BHF Scotland, said: “We are so pleased to hear that Steven is continuing to recover well, after what must have been a really frightening experience. And we are so grateful for his support and the support of all his colleagues.

“Since the BHF was established, our research and campaigning have contributed to the annual number of people dying from heart and circulatory diseases in this country falling by half.

“This is something we can be extremely proud of. But with the public’s help, we want to do more."

Visit bhf.org.uk/cpr to find out more about CPR.