BARBARA Matthews wants to thank the man who saved her husband's life – but she doesn't know who he is.

Now the search has begun for the Good Samaritan, a passing motorist, who brought her husband Bentley 'back from the dead' after he suffered a serious heart attack.

The quick-thinking motorist gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation and heart massage until ambulance paramedics arrived and took Bentley to Derriford Hospital.

Bentley and his wife, Barbara had walked to catch a bus to Trago Mills, on Saturday, but when it did not arrive carried on into town to draw out some money, reaching Church Street South where tragedy almost struck.

Barbara said: 'Bentley complained of chest pains on Friday evening. He thought it was just indigestion but went to bed at about 7pm, which he never does. On Saturday morning I asked him if he still had the pain but he said no, just a little in his back instead. He helped me with the hoovering and when we were walking to the bus stop he was talking and laughing as usual.'

In Church Street South Bentley started to gasp with the pain in his chest, having suffered a severe heart attack.

Barbara said: 'He just collapsed in the street and hit his head on the stone wall. He rolled over several times and then he was just still.'

She panicked, ran into the road and flagged down a passing motorist, who proved to be the difference between life and death for her husband of 32 years. However the only details Barbara remembers of him is that he looked around 40, was driving a red car and had two children in the back.

She said: 'I remember him crouching down and saying 'There's no pulse', but I knew Bentley had died on that street, he looked so still and his face was purple. This man started to breath into his mouth and pressed his hands up and down on his chest to get him breathing again.'

In the meantime a passer-by rang 999 and paramedics Nick Spence and Steve Morcomb, arrived just seven minutes later and used a defibrillator to help start his heart and administer cardiac stimulant drugs. Within seconds Mr Matthews' heart was beating again.

Westcountry ambulance spokesman, Darren Gibson explained: 'He obviously had some first aid knowledge because he knew what he was doing. His actions taken at the scene before the paramedic crews arrival saved his life.' He added: 'We rarely get to thank anyone if they have helped on the scene.'

Barbara is relieved that Bentley's heart attack happened on the street. She said: 'If it had happened at home I wouldn't have known what to do, He would have died. I really want to thank the man who saved his life face to face.'