QUICK-THINKING firefighters helped a diabetic builder after he suffered a hypoglycemic attack.

Ricky Jones, Dean Harrison and Darren Ellis, who are based at Hawkwell fire station, were attending a fete in the village on Saturday when their medical skills were called into action.

As they returned from a shop in Main Road, the builder, who had been working on a nearby house, called for help.

Mr Jones said: “At that point, he was still able to talk and tell us he was having an attack, but he was doing downhill rapidly.

“Fortunately, just last week we attended trauma training and covered diabetes, so we knew we had to get some sugar into him quickly.”

While two of the firefighters took care of the builder, believed to be from Thundersley, their colleague returned to the shop and bought a chocolate bar and a fizzy drink.

Hypoglycemic attacks strike when the body’s sugar levels fall too low.

Mr Jones said: “That appeared to revive him.

“By this time, paramedics had arrived at the scene and were able to check the chap over.

“They confirmed he was okay and his wife came to collect him.”