A routine Friday night rugby match turned into a life or death situation when Nigel Blacklock, a Senior Site Supervisor on our Box Encapsulation Plant Product Store 2 (BEPPS2) project, collapsed during training at St Benedict’s Rugby Club in Whitehaven.
Unknown to him or his teammates, Nigel was having a heart attack, a medical emergency that only 8% of people survive after defibrillation – a statistic he was told by the doctors who treated him.
The first to respond was Carl ‘Wammo’ Walmsley, a Concrete Chargehand from our Sellafield Product and Residue Store Retreatment Plant (SRP) project team, who was refereeing the match when Nigel went down.
Quick to action
Carl immediately assessed the situation, realised the severity, called for the defibrillator and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Carl said: “I had my back to it all at first, then I heard someone shout Nigel has gone down, I thought it must have been a typical sports injury. But when I turned him over I knew it was something far more serious.
“All I kept remembering from my first aid training was the first four minutes are critical. Everything I learned came back to me in the moment, and without that training, I don’t think I could have helped him.”
When the defibrillator arrived, Carl followed the instructions to administer a shock, attempting to restart Nigel’s heart before continuing CPR until the paramedics arrived and took over.
For Lyndsey, Nigel’s wife, the situation was terrifying. Recalling the moment she found out, she said: “I was at home when one of the lads’ wives messaged me to call her urgently. She said Nigel had collapsed, and he hadn’t moved for 15 minutes. I panicked, trying to get to the hospital, not even knowing if he would survive. It was the longest night of my life.
“We’re taking it one day at a time, he’s not 100% yet, but he’s making progress. The support from his colleagues at PPP and the rugby lads has been incredible—they’ve checked in constantly, and it’s meant so much to our family.”
Now home and recovering
Nigel spent nearly a month in the hospital, and his recovery has been slow but steady. The incident left an emotional mark on everyone involved.
Carl admitted to struggling with flashbacks in the weeks after, saying: “When Nigel posted on social media that he was okay, I finally felt like I could breathe again.”
Nigel acknowledged the profound impact on his family, stating: “It’s brought us closer together. This could have been a completely different story.”
The aftermath of the incident has also led to actionable changes. Operatives on BEPPS2 requested more defibrillators through the observation system, resulting in the installation of two additional units on-site.
Lyndsey expressed heartfelt gratitude to Carl and the team who saved him: “They were absolutely brilliant. I can’t thank them enough for what they did for Nigel and for us as a family.”
This story is a powerful reminder of the importance of first aid training, community support, and defibrillators. For Nigel and his family, it was the difference between tragedy and a second chance at life, and a true example of the PPP workforce looking out for one another.