Lucy Buckland

lucy.buckland@essnmedia.co.uk

THE son of a man who died after suffering a suspected heart attack and falling off a ladder has praised paramedics who fought to save his father's life.

David Double was fixing the side wall of his home in Selcroft Road, Purley, when he collapsed and fell. He was 62.

Paramedics rushed to the house by road and an air ambulance was scrambled, landing in a neighbour's garden.

Mr Double was rushed to St George's Hospital, in Tooting, in a critical condition and died hours later. His son, who did not want to be named, thanked the paramedics who were on the scene within minutes.

Speaking on behalf of his family, he said: "The paramedics were really good, very professional and I have nothing but positive things to say about them.

"My father was doing home improvements when he fell from a ladder and at the moment we just don't know what happened."

Neighbour Pin Patel said the community was shocked at Mr Double's sudden death.

He added: "My wife said she saw the air ambulance land and went outside.

"She saw lots of paramedics rushing about and David was being attended to by them.

"We heard later on he had died and we went round to offer our condolences. They are a lovely family and David was a very nice man.

"He loved doing home improvements and was always fixing the house. His wife, Veronica, was just in shock when we saw her."

Mr Patel said he believed Mrs Double's father had died just days before her husband.

Neighbour Nicholas Phipps, who lives on nearby Oakwood Avenue, also saw the air ambulance land.

He said: "We heard a low flying aircraft and it looked like it was just circling round the area.

"Then it came down in a garden but we didn't know what had happened.

"My daughter said she saw the poor guy covered in blood and he looked in a really bad way.

"The air ambulance did a great job getting here and it is a valuable resource, especially because the traffic can be gridlocked round here."

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said three ambulances and an air ambulance had attended at around 6pm on Thursday, September 2.

An inquest into Mr Double's death was opened and adjourned at Croydon Coroner's Court on Tuesday.