A HOLIDAYMAKER who ‘died’ at a Bournemouth hotel has returned to thank the manager who saved his life.

Lew Bell, 84, was staying at the Days Hotel Marsham Court when he suffered a massive heart attack in his room on the day before his birthday.

His wife Margaret raised the alarm and hotel manager Rosie Wallace rushed up two flights of stairs to get to her guest.

She worked on Lew for eight minutes until paramedics arrived and took over.

He was taken from the hotel in Russell Cotes Road to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, where he spent three weeks and had a pacemaker fitted.

Four months later he is making a good recovery.

He had only been at the hotel for an hour when he collapsed and Rosie’s actions in saving him were made more difficult because she was wearing a leg brace following an injury.

Rosie: “I found Mr Bell collapsed and basically ‘gone’. His wife was obviously distraught, but my adrenaline kicked in and I just set to work with CPR.

“After four minutes I was becoming exhausted and knew Mr Bell’s chances of survival were getting slimmer by the minute. But I just kept going.

“When the paramedics arrived, they said his chances were small, but that I just might have saved his life.

“After they left, I just started shaking and crying.

“But then came the elation when we heard that he was going to be okay.”

Rosie and three other Days Hotel managers are trained in CPR. Rosie also has a paediatric first aid qualification.

When Lew was discharged from hospital, the hotel hosted him and his wife for a two-day ‘holiday’ before they returned to Worksop.

Lew said: “My life was saved because of Rosie and Bournemouth.

“If it had happened at home, I don't think anyone would have got to me in time.

“She now jokes that she ‘kissed me’ before we even met - I can’t thank her enough and I am looking forward to visiting her again, as soon as I am strong enough.”

Margaret, 80, said: “What makes the whole thing even more miraculous is that we weren't even supposed to be staying at the Days Hotel - our hotel in Bournemouth was overbooked. But thank goodness we were there.”

Rosie has since received the first National Coastal Tourism Academy Customer Service Award in 2014 as a result of her actions.