Grateful for in-flight help

A grandfather has praised the Royal Flying Doctor Service for helping him after his near-fatal experience last year.

Bob Niven, pictured, whose family lives in Marble Bar, was working up in Broome where he was seconded to project manage a school site late last year when he suffered two life-threatening heart attacks.

The 72-year-old said he felt his chest tighten at his Broome worksite but didn’t think anything of it until his wife insisted he go to the hospital.

A nurse at Broome hospital immediately realised the severity of Mr Niven’s condition and wired him up for monitoring.

While a doctor confirmed the first heart attack, Mr Niven suffered a second.

Mr Niven was then flown to Royal Perth Hospital by the RFDS and received treatment throughout the four-hour journey to Perth.

Mr Niven said the comforting presence of the RFDS medical team kept him relaxed on the way to Perth.

“The in-flight care was fantastic, the calmness of everybody was a big factor — if they were stressed, I would have been stressed,” he said.

“The medical team on board took great care of me.”