An off-duty nurse helped save the life of a retired pilot after she discovered him without a pulse outside a shopping centre.

Rachael Lewis, from Rainham, was walking near Chatham’s Dockside last Saturday (October 12) when she came across Chris Mills, who was unresponsive.

The 25-year-old, who works as a nurse at Medway Maritime Hospital, sprang into action – administering CPR following signs of cardiac arrest.

Chris’s wife Brenda said: “We were so very lucky that Rachael was passing.

“She immediately took over, and made sure CPR was being administered properly while the ambulance was on its way.

“If it wasn’t for Rachael’s quick actions and the wider care of the NHS, Chris wouldn’t be here today.’’

The 77-year-old retired airline pilot was later taken to the hospital where he continues to make good progress in his recovery.

Five days after the incident, the pair reunited alongside Chris’ wife Brenda and daughter Michaela, to thank the off-duty nurse for her efforts.

Through teary eyes, Chris, from St Mary’s Island, said: ‘’The word amazing doesn’t do it justice – it makes me very emotional to think about what Rachael did for me. I am truly grateful for her life-saving actions – she is certainly an angel.

‘’I am awaiting further tests to confirm my absolute diagnosis, but I look forward to returning home soon.

“All the hospital staff are fantastic – it’s really been a five-star experience and I thank everyone who has helped rescue me, notably Rachael.’’

Speaking of the experience, the former A&E nurse said: “I’m really happy to see him and give him a hug. I let out a little cry when I heard he was going to be ok and I feel very proud to have helped.

“To me, as a nurse, this is just something that we do and it is part of our job, although it is unusual to be involved in something like this outside of hospital.

“I have an instinct to help people, and through a combination of adrenaline and training, we were able to deliver effective CPR to help save Chris’ life.

‘’I want to thank my partner who is CPR-trained, and all the members of the public that stopped to help us, alongside colleagues from the emergency services.’’

According to the British Heart Foundation, there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) a year in the UK where emergency medical services attempt to resuscitate the victim.

However, the survival rate is low at less than one in 10 people.

The incident occurred just days before World Restart a Heart Day (October 16) – a global initiative to raise awareness about the importance of bystander CPR and to increase the number of people trained in life-saving techniques.