A HAMPSHIRE school has won a pair of awards after quick-thinking staff saved the life of a pupil.

Mountbatten School in Romsey has scooped a National Lifesaver Defibrillator Award from national cardiac charity SADS UK for using the equipment to keep 16-year-old pupil Sam Mangoro’s heart beating long enough for paramedics to arrive.

Sam, of Romsey, suffered a cardiac arrest during a PE lesson but staff were able to resuscitate him using a defibrillator, including PE teacher Emma Denham who was in the middle of a job interview when the incident happened.

The school and Sam and his family have backed the Daily Echo’s Save a Life in Schools campaign to ensure every Hampshire school stocks the vital equipment.

School pastoral manager Lyn Lovell, who shocked Sam with the defibrillator, welfare officer Janet Barrett, assistant headteacher Mark Chance and Emma will all travel to the Royal College of Nursing to accept the award on October 18. And Sam and his family will be there, including mum Lynda who is full of praise for the life-saving team.

She said: “At every stage of Sam’s journey that day we heard one thing over and over – it was the actions of the staff and teachers at the school that had saved his life.

“The paramedics, who we have met with since, told us that his blood results were the best they could possibly be for somebody who had been through what he had – a sudden cardiac arrest – meaning he had the best possible chance of recovery once the medical professionals took over.

“We heard the same message from doctors and consultants at the hospital, and we were told this was solely due to the brilliant CPR that was performed and the swift use of the defibrillator.”

Lyn and Janet also collected a Life Saver of the Year (On Duty) Award at the UK Heart Safe Awards at a special ceremony in Manchester on behalf of the school.