A HEART attack victim whose life was saved by Borders veterinary staff, has helped pay to install a defibrillator at the practice.

Vets Robbie Norquay and Michael Kyle performed CPR on Hamish Ritchie after he fell ill near Galedin Vets in Kelso in September last year.

Mr Ritchie suffered a heart attack as he and his wife Jacky were driving home to Coldstream following a day out at a garden centre.

Mrs Ritchie stopped the car outside the practice at The Knowes, where their pet schnauzer Penny is registered, to raise the alarm.

Receptionist Sheila Fleming rang the ambulance while the two vets administered life-saving first aid.

Now, as a token of appreciation to the vets, Mr and Mrs Ritchie have donated towards the cost of defibrillator – a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

Mrs Ritchie said: “It was an extremely frightening ordeal but the team at Galedin were absolutely wonderful.

"Hamish collapsed on my shoulder while I was driving so I quickly drove to the vets as we know them very well as we are clients.

“They called paramedics and the ambulance arrived very quickly, but they were so supportive throughout the whole distressing incident.”

Mr Ritchie spent three weeks at Borders General Hospital, before being transferred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he had a stent inserted.

The couple returned to the practice this week to thank the staff for their life-saving efforts and to unveil the new defibrillator.

And the team at Galedin Vets has already undergone training to use the machine with Kelso Heartbeat, a charity that provides basic life support training.

Vet Robbie Norquay said: “Mr Ritchie wasn’t breathing so we got him into the surgery. Sheila rang the ambulance and the operator talked us through how to perform CPR.

"It was pretty scary at the time, but it is great to now see him so well.

"Mr and Mrs Rithcie have kindly donated some money for a defibrillator at the surgery and we have contributed to the rest of the cost."