Boy who came back from the dead

This is Joe Towey - brought back to life after the longest resuscitation ever successfully carried out in Britain.

The two-year-old was found apparently dead by his mother Jennifer Nock face down in a pond with no heartbeat and no signs of breathing.

Joe's father, Michael, rang 999 and Ms Nock started resuscitation after being given instructions over the phone.

Paramedics took over the seemingly hopeless cause on the way to hospital and doctors continued to fight for the toddler well beyond the two-and-a-half-hour limit that is normal for such attempts.

Seven hours after being found, Joe came back to life and took his place in British history.

Mr Towey, a builder, recalled: "I was dozing and I heard Jennifer scream. I phoned 999 and they told us what to do over the phone.

"Joe was dead, he was completely gone. The A&E staff at hospital were amazing and never gave up. After a while, they found the faintest trace of a heartbeat and they worked and worked on him until he came through.

"People kept warning us that day and for the next two weeks that he probably wouldn't make it, but it shows where there is some life, there is hope.

"I don't know if he survived because of his strength or because he is lucky, but he is back here with us and causing more havoc than normal. He is a happy little boy."

Joe's parents, who have just had a second son, Jack, four days ago, added that resuscitation and first aid are the most important things a parent can know.

The drama unfolded on Boxing Day when Joe was found by Ms Nock apparently drowned in the garden pond at the family home in Yardley Wood, Birmingham.

The boy was taken by ambulance to the city's Heartlands Hospital, where doctors told his parents that the cold temperature of the water had "frozen his body in time" - giving him a faint chance of survival.

The world record for resuscitation - nine hours - is held by a Canadian man who fell into a frozen lake.

Trevor Ford, spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said medics were delighted to see Joe make a full recovery.

"The early start by Joe's mother and constant CPR by paramedics and then hospital staff for seven and

a half hours is what saved this little boy's life," said Trevor.

"The normal length of time of resuscitation is two and a half hours, but there was some sort of rhythm and the doctors didn't give up. It is the longest resuscitation ever in the UK.

"It really is amazing, but the colder a patient is, the more chance of bringing them back to life because the body slows down, like being frozen in time."

Health expert Dr Mark Porter added: "Seven hours is certainly one of the longest periods I have heard of - you would expect anyone to be dead after that length of time.

"Cold water slows down the body's metabolic rate, and effectively puts us into a hibernation mode, by slowing down everything in the body. The other key factor here is the boy's age. At two, we are very resilient to a lack of oxygen, far more so than an adult."