Heart attack survivor abseils from hospital roof

A man who survived a heart attack, having initially dismissed the warning signs as indigestion, has returned to the hospital where he underwent rehabilitation to abseil from its roof.

Fred Mendonca, 62, from Sutton, south London, raised funds for St Helier Hospital with a 125ft (38m) descent on 18 June, two years on from the attack.

While taking on the challenge, which saw him abseil the equivalent height of the Statue of Liberty, he urged others not to delay seeking medical attention if they experienced possible symptoms.

He also praised the staff who helped him in his recovery, calling them "a phenomenal team", who were "highly professional, efficient, friendly and informative".

Describing his heart attack, Mendonca said he initially experienced pains in his midriff while at work in June 2024, but he did not panic.

"I tried to self-medicate at first but it got worse and worse," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Fortunately, his nurse-trained wife intervened and called an ambulance.

"They hooked me up to an electrocardiogram and I was being treated in A&E within half an hour," he explained.

Following an assessment at St George's Hospital, Tooting, doctors concluded he had suffered a heart attack and heart failure.

"I had no idea I had an arterial clot and was flabbergasted when the consultant said I had suffered an acute myocardial infarction (a heart attack) and heart failure," he said.

After being treated at St George's, he was transferred to a cardiac rehabilitation unit at St Helier Hospital, where he was nursed back to full health.

"Now I'm focusing on keeping fit. I feel better than I have done in the last 20 years," he said.

When asked what advice he would give others experiencing similar symptoms, he said: "Don't assume it's normal and don't put it off."

Mendonca urged people to contact 111 or their GP if they had any doubts about their symptoms.

According to the NHS, symptoms of a heart attack may include:

• Chest pain which may feel like crushing or squeezing on your chest and sometimes spreads to your arm, neck and jaw
• Feeling short of breath
• Feeling sick or vomiting
• Feeling as though you have indigestion, possibly a burning feeling in your chest
• Feeling full or bloated
• Sweating
• Pale, blue or grey skin – on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands

The Abseil St Helier event is now in its second year, with more than 70 fundraisers taking part and more than £20,000 raised towards a £30,000 target for the hospital charity.

Earlier this month, St Helier Hospital announced it had been awarded £57m of NHS funding to improve and expand its emergency department.

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