MORE than 40 people have received potential life-saving skills as part of legacy of late Army Captain David Seath.

The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund, which was started by his brother Gary last year, held a free CPR instruction evening in partnership with British Heart Foundation Scotland on June 22 to help provide an effective response in the event of a cardiac arrest.

Captain Seath, who was from Crossgates, lost his life in April 2016 after suffering a cardiac arrest just three miles short of the finishing line while running the London Marathon in aid of Help for Heroes.

The memorial fund, which was named Charity Champion of the Year at last month's Times Community Champions Awards, has raised more than £270,000 and provided more than 170 financial grants to wounded, injured and sick personnel through Help for Heroes.

Heart-stopping statistics show that 30,000 people in the UK have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but the survival rate is less than 1 in 10.

Giving CPR can help keep someone in cardiac arrest alive and Gary said: "As a result of David's tragic death, medical staff recommended a series of tests at the cardiology department, including an Echocardiogram, Electrocardiogram and 24 hour ECG tape.

"During that time I conducted research into the subject as a means to understand what the tests were investigating. "During that process, I was startled to read that, statistically, 12 young people die as a result of cardiac arrest on a weekly basis in the UK, and that 30,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospital in the UK on annual basis. Therefore, I began to think in what way David's legacy could provide members of the local community with the confidence and vital life saving skills to respond effectively in the event of a cardiac arrest".

Added Gary: "British Heart Foundation Scotland very kindly supported our event and delivered an informative session which provided a step-by-step guide to chest compressions, mouth-to-mouth and defibrillation.

"I am delighted with the high level of engagement and positive feedback from participants, many of whom agreed that they now have the confidence to react effectively in the event of a cardiac arrest.

"Looking to the future, The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund hopes to facilitate a programme of CPR instruction in local primary schools and will host an annual session for members of the local community to learn about CPR or refresh their skills."