A HAMPSHIRE grandfather has been reunited with one of the men who used a defibrillator to save his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest.

Brian Marshall and his family finally met with Lance Corporal Harry Pickering, who came to Brian's rescue in a shopping aisle at Asda in Totton.

At the emotional reunion Brian revealed his mission to help back the Daily Echo’s Save A Life campaign to get more defibrillators installed in schools and public places.

With help from his family and bus firm First, where his son Rob works, he is holding a fun day to raise money needed to buy two defibrillators for First’s depot and travel shop in Southampton.

Fifty seven-year-old Mr Marshall suffered a sudden cardiac arrest after visiting the Asda supermarket earlier this year.

Luckily two men – off-duty soldier L/Cpl Pickering and firefighter Stuart Godwin – were at the supermarket and successfully restarted his heart with a defibrillator that had only been installed a few months before.

Mr Marshall, of Cadnam, met L/Cpl Pickering for the first time since the incident.

Mr Marshall, who says he feels “15 years younger” and has recovered well from the cardiac arrest, said: “All I could say to Harry was thankyou.

“If it had happened at home I wouldn’t be here.”

His mum, 87-year-old Marion Marshall from Millbrook, said: “I can’t say how grateful I am to them. I lost my daughter last year and my husband the year before that.

“I think defibrillators should be everywhere, including schools as it can happen to children too.”

L/Cpl Pickering, 28, from Marchwood, learned his lifesaving skills as a lifeguard and when he became an Army dive medic based at Marchwood Military Port.

He was shopping at the store in Totton with his girlfriend, 19-year-old Amy Marzaroli. in West Wales and was just going to get some dinner after a five-and-a-half hour drive back from a holiday in West Wales.

He said: “I don’t really remember that much about what happened.

“I don’t like the fuss and I would say anybody would have done what Stuart and I did.”

They were tracked down by Brian's daughter Narika, who had found both of them within 20 minutes of putting an appeal up on social networking site Facebook.

The pair were finally reunited at First’s depot in Empress Road.

Brian's son Rob and his colleagues want to raise the £1,740 needed for a defibrillator, which First will then match fund to buy a second.

They are planning a host of fundraising activities, including the fun day at the Royal Victoria Country Park on August 23.

The event runs from 11am to 5pm and features activities for all the family.