“HE’S my son, my friend, my saviour.”

Those were the words of a proud father, who believes his son’s quick thinking could have saved his life – thanks to knowledge gained on a school first aid course.

Lewis Sadaoui had clearly paid attention when volunteers visited his school to show pupils how to deal with medical emergencies.

Just two days later the 11-yearold, from Whiteley, diagnosed his own father’s heart attack.

Dr Alex Sadaoui, 50, told how he started having chest pains, but, as he has occasionally had similar pains that have passed, did not think it was anything serious. Then he felt sick, was sweating, breathing heavily and fainted.

Alex, who works for Bournemouth IT company Decoded Solutions, said although his father had a heart bypass operation at 63, he considered himself healthy and had had a clear cholesterol check six months before.

But Lewis, who had watched this unfold alongside sister Emily, 7, and mother Mila, quickly realised his father’s condition.

“I didn’t want to make dad feel too scared so I whispered to mum that dad was having a heart attack because he was showing all the signs,” he said.

“He [Dad] said ‘don’t call 999, it’s not serious’ and I was like ‘yes it is, yes it is and even if it’s not that serious it’s just in case’.”

He calmly instructed his family not to let his father eat or drink anything in case of an operation and to keep him warm, while he dialled 999.

Paramedics arrived within minutes and told Alex he had indeed had a heart attack.

A team at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth performed emergency surgery, inserting a small tube called a stent to widen the arteries supplying blood to the heart.

After three days in hospital, Alex has since made a full recovery and is back at work.

Lewis’ diagnosis came after taking part in Heartstart training at Hook-with-Warsash Academy, which included learning how to recognise heart attack symptoms and what to do.

The voluntary organisation spoke with each class about first aid and medical emergencies.

The Year 6 pupil said before the course he would have “had no clue how to deal with stuff like this”.

He added: “If I didn’t do the Heartstart course I don’t know what would have happened to dad – it’s such a coincidence.

“I feel happy that I have helped him stay alive.”

Of his son, Alex said: “He has certainly saved my life.

“By not seeking help straight away, obviously the damage would have been gradually done to the heart muscle.

“I’m very proud of him.”

Alex wants to encourage other schools to take up schemes teaching lifesaving skills.

Those interested in getting Heartstart to visit their school should call 07730 148920.