Keyline staff member Scott Kilmer is being hailed a hero after saving the life of a man who suffered a major cardiac arrest.

Mr Kilmer (pictured), who works at Keyline in Bristol, was playing golf at the local Knowle Golf Club with friend Gavin Carpenter when he spotted a man in difficulties up ahead.

Richard Pembury, aged 63, had suffered a major cardiac arrest while playing with friends, and quick-thinking Mr Kilmer called emergency services and performed CPR in Mr Pembury while Mr Carpenter rushed back to the Clubhouse to collected the portable defibrillator. Together, they used the defibrillator to help resuscitate Mr Pembury, with Mr Kilmer performing CPR for 14 minutes until paramedics arrived to take Mr Pembury to The Bristol Heart Institute by air ambulance.

Mr Kilmer, who is a Tool Hire Manager for Keyline, had received full first aid training from the company and is a designated branch first aider at the civils and drainage distributor.

He said: "When you enrol on a first aid course you hope that you will never have to put anything you learn into practice and certainly not in such serious circumstances.

"My natural instinct was to immediately help and I did what anyone else would have done. My first aid training definitely contributed to giving me the confidence to carry out CPR and do everything I could to assist a fellow human being."

Mr Pembury was treated in hospital and put into an induced coma for three days. He underwent an operation to have five stents fitted to his arteries and has since made a full recovery. Doctors and paramedics have praised Scott for his actions, which they say saved Mr Pembury's life.

Mr Pembury said: "I am so grateful to Scott for taking such immediate action and coming to my aid so quickly. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had somebody so close by who knew exactly what to do. If it hadn't have been for Scott and Gavin then I wouldn't be here today. I really do owe them my life."

Tom Moore, who is Scott's manager at Keyline in Bristol, added: "Scott has always been somebody who stays calm in a crisis so it isn't surprising that he jumped into action in the way he did. All our depots have many designated first aiders who undertake a bi-annual course to ensure they comply with our stringent health and safety standards. We're really proud to have Scott as part of our team and so pleased he was able to help Mr Pembury to make a full recovery."