A woman who cheated death three times is on a mission to find and thank the first responder who initially saved her.

In the space of just a few hours Janet Delahay’s heart stopped twice and her breathing failed, leaving her blue and moments from death.

She was feeling a bit peculiar just before going to bed for the night and said to husband William she was feeling out of sorts.

The 71-year-old, of City Way, Rochester, said: “It felt like indigestion, so I went into the bathroom and the next thing I knew I was on the floor, thinking I was in real trouble.

“William called 999. I was uncomfortable and managed to take my dressing gown off and sit up on the toilet seat but the responder was so quick that as soon as I’d done that he arrived. The first thing I thought was: ‘But I’ve not got any clothes on!’

“The paramedic was doing an ECG, and suddenly I saw this great bright light. I thought ‘what the hell?’ and then I was gone, I died.

"The responder was so quick... the first thing I thought was: ‘But I’ve not got any clothes on!’" - Janet Delahay

“I don’t remember anything until I woke up and had a lot of pain in my chest. Bill [William] had done CPR and had not been light-handed with me.”

William also had a heart attack a few years ago and had to have a quadruple by-pass; so as soon as Janet described her complaints he knew immediately what was wrong and called for the ambulance straight away.

The 70-year-old said: “I explained the situation. They said ‘somebody will be round shortly, so go downstairs and unlock the door so they can get in’. Before I’d even hung up, the doorbell went, and the first responder was there. If I didn’t know better I’d have thought he was sat waiting on the wall outside.

“He said Janet needed to go to the William Harvey Hospital, so told me to get dressed. I was in the bedroom moments when he shouted ‘she’s gone’.

“I rushed in and Janet was slumped on the toilet seat. We got her on to the floor and I said I’d start CPR while he rang to hurry the ambulance up.

“We managed to bring her back, and kept her going until the ambulance crew arrived. But then she went again.

“The crew got her back with a defibrillator.

"She was conscious but couldn’t move, and there was such fear in her eyes, she didn’t know what was going on and was panicking - but yet again she was saved." - William Delahay

“Unbelievably we almost lost her in hospital as well. She wasn’t breathing properly and her entire body went blue. She was conscious but couldn’t move, and there was such fear in her eyes, she didn’t know what was going on and was panicking - but yet again she was saved.

“She’s not going anywhere, this one. I’ve said to her she’s not allowed to go anywhere any time soon.”

Janet spent a week in hospital and her overall recovery took some months. She is a healthy woman, and regularly goes out walking. The heart attack was as result of narrow arteries.

She said: “I just didn’t think to try and thank the responder at the time, it was only talking to a paramedic recently that reminded me. I would like to now. I’d like to let him know that he did help to save my live, and I’m still here and going strong because of what he did.”

She said the responder was a white man and quite young, possibly early 20s. The incident was in March 2014.

If this is you, or anyone you know, please email medwaymessenger@thekmgroup.co.uk, ring 01634 227830 or write to: Medway House, Ginsbury Close, Sir Thomas Longley Road, Medway City Est, Strood, Kent, ME2 4DU.