A DAD has thanked a firefighter for helping to save his three-month-old son’s life after he stopped breathing.

Scott Purchase was looking forward to the challenge of looking after his son Henry for the first time by himself as his partner, Daisy Dunning, returned to work as an assistant head teacher at Sutton Green Primary School.

But Scott's world was turned upside down when Henry suddenly stopped breathing at 11.45am on Tuesday, February 13.

Scott left his home in Great Sutton with the baby to try and find help when Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service's Jason James was passed by.

Jason, 47, said: “I was just passing by in a station vehicle when the distraught dad Scott came out of the house with baby Henry and flagged me down.

“He told me Henry wasn’t choking but had stopped breathing so I told him to turn his baby onto his front, hold him in one arm and then pat his back.

“Henry responded and started to cry and I then called for an ambulance.

“While I was on the phone to the ambulance service Henry stopped breathing several times, but the same procedure led to him breathing again on each occasion.

“Scott was understandably in a state of panic but he did a great job. I was simply on hand to advise and support him on what needed to be done.

“I have been in the fire service for 28 years.

"I have received first aid and trauma care training, which covers what to do when children and babies aren’t breathing, so I had some of the knowledge needed in this set of circumstances.

“If the situation required me to take Henry off Scott and treat him myself I obviously would have done, but as it turned out that wasn’t necessary.

“The ambulance turned up very quickly, in three or four minutes, and I was so glad to hear that night that Henry was okay and able to go home.

“It was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time to help.

“Perhaps it was fate and I was meant to be passing by at that time.”

Scott, 29, says he cannot thank Jason enough for his help.

He said: “I was excited about looking after Henry by myself for the first time, but when he stopped breathing it was undoubtedly the scariest moment of my life.

“I was very lucky that the firefighter Jason James was passing by. He basically saved my son’s life.

“He knew what to do and came into the house, called the ambulance and talked me through the CPR.

“He was also able to calm me down as I was in a bit of a flap.

“I am eternally grateful for what he did that day. I could never repay him, and the same goes for the ambulance staff for getting to our house so quickly.”

Daisy, 31, said: “The hospital believes it was a case of silent reflux, whereby milk comes back up the oesophagus causing the epiglottis to close off momentarily, meaning that the baby is unable to breathe.

“They advised us to reduce Henry’s milk intake, ensure that he doesn’t drink it too fast and to keep him upright so that the milk goes straight down.

“Henry went into hospital at noon and was home by 8pm and has been fine ever since.

“I can’t thank Jason James and our neighbour Dave Hodder, who was also there, enough for all the help and support they gave Scott when he was understandably in a real panic.

"He has never dealt with anything like that before and it was a frightening experience.

“I also want to thank the ambulance service for turning up so quickly and for the fantastic service they and the hospital gave to our family.”