A GRATEFUL mum has thanked an “amazing” school nurse and first aiders for saving her son’s life after his heart stopped.

John Gray, 14, a student at Clacton County High School, was yesterday in an induced coma in a specialist hospital after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest.

He fell to the ground after his heart stopped suddenly while at the school, in Walton Road, on Tuesday afternoon.

The school nurse and first aiders rushed to John’s aid and re-started his heart using the school’s defibrillator within two minutes.

Emergency services, including the Essex and Herts air ambulance, were also called to the scene.

The youngster, from Clacton, was rushed to Colchester Hospital before being transferred to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.

His mum Mandy Piper thanked the school nurse for saving her son’s life.

“My thanks go to the amazing fast work the school nurse did and the fact Clacton County High School had a defibrillator. She managed to get my son’s heart started again within two minutes. She saved my son’s life. The paramedics were amazing too.

“He is now at a specialist centre for the treatment of the heart. They have him in an induced coma and have done many tests.

“A nurse is sitting by his bed monitoring him 24 hours a day. He has got machines all around him and they are doing his breathing for him at the moment.

“All tests so far have been good. He is trying to wake up and is opening his eyes. Everyone has been amazing.”

Chris Taylor, Clacton County High School’s head of school, confirmed a pupil had been taken ill at the site.

He said: “There were two first aiders directly involved in the CPR as well as two others involved in liaising with the ambulance service and they are all part of a team who treated the child.

“I cannot praise the team enough as they all did an incredible job in saving his life.”

“Our thoughts are with the child and the family.”

A East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said paramedics were called to the school shortly after 1pm on Tuesday.

He added: “An ambulance, two rapid response vehicles, a community first responder, an ambulance officer vehicle and Essex and Herts air ambulance were called to Clacton County High School following reports of a student with a serious medical emergency.”