Just 24 hours into his dream Caribbean honeymoon, Fleetwood resident Peter Franklin found himself fighting for his life after suffering a massive heart attack. The 53-year-old enablement support worker endured a critical four-hour delay to reach emergency care and a gruelling 300-kilometre ambulance journey for life-saving stent surgery, admitting he still doesn't know how he survived the terrifying ordeal.
Four-hour delay and 300km ambulance journey
Peter Franklin, a 53-year-old enablement support worker from Fleetwood, married his wife Kim and flew to the Caribbean for their dream honeymoon. Just 24 hours into the trip, he suffered a massive heart attack. Due to their remote location, it took four hours before he reached a hospital.
"Due to the location we were in, I was having the heart attack for four hours before I got to a hospital. I honestly don't know how I survived," Peter said. He was then taken by ambulance from one hospital to another 300 kilometres away, and it was 36 hours before he had an operation to have stents put in.
Second heart attack and severe heart failure diagnosis
After the surgery, Peter flew back to Manchester Airport with a full medical escort and went straight from the airport to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. After spending three days in hospital, he suffered another heart attack. "Luckily that one was nowhere near as bad as the first and it was dealt with straight away," he said. "But I was diagnosed with severe heart failure and told I would be on medication forever. It felt like I had death hanging over my shoulder, it was terrifying."
In December 2025, Peter had a S-ICD (subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator) fitted. If his heart goes into Tachycardia, the device will shock him. Determined not to let the diagnosis define his future, he launched an intense fitness drive.
From light weights to half marathon
Peter started working out slowly, gradually increasing the weights, intensity, and duration. He then began running short distances, progressing to 5k and 10k runs across Lancashire. "I started off running really short distances, but before I knew it, I was running 5k, and then one day I kept going and 10k's started becoming a thing," he said.
Now, Peter is set to mark the anniversary of his near-fatal ordeal by running the Fleetwood Half Marathon on August 23, two days before the first anniversary of his heart attack. His determination has drawn praise from county leaders, celebrating how the very same resilience he uses daily to empower local adults with learning disabilities has fuelled his own miraculous road to recovery.
County Councillor Tom Pickup, cabinet member for Adult Social Care, said: "Peter's determination to get fitter and improve his health is truly inspiring, but it's clear that he brings resilience and positivity to all aspects of his life. Peter works in our Enablement Team where he helps people with learning disabilities and autism gain the confidence to live as independently as possible by teaching them skills from cooking to travelling independently and managing their finances."
