A SON who tried to save his unconscious dad's life is raising money for the critical care unit that looked after him.

Mervyn Cant, from Colchester, had not been feeling well in October last year.

He went to his surgery in Shrub End and was put on three weeks of anti-biotics, for a suspected chest infection.

However one day in November his son Jamie, 30, got a call from his younger brother Robbie, saying their dad was in trouble.

Jamie said: "When I got to my dad's house with my wife Krystina and mum Georgina, my dad was unconscious.

"He had laboured breathing and as I'm a carer I knew what was going to happen.

"We called for an ambulance and gave him CPR, then the first responders arrived.

"Everything after that was a blur, there were about 13 paramedics."

Jamie's younger brother and sister Robbie and Amy, who were 18 and 21 at the time, were the only people at home when Mervyn first became ill.

After Jamie arrived and tried CPR he was rushed to the critical care unit at Colchester General Hospital, but sadly died a few days later, aged 69.

A post mortem showed Mervyn, a retired bus driver, had lung disease.

Jamie said performing CPR on his dad was a natural reaction.

He said: "I didn't even think about it, I just know I had to do it.

"It wasn't the first time I had done it but it's different when it's your own dad."

Mervyn was on a life support machine for the first two days in hospital, but the family said it was unfair for him to be suffering.

They managed to see him after a couple of days, and were able to say goodbye.

Jamie said: "When we went to hospital he was awake and talked to us, but I felt he knew what was going to happen because he kept telling us he loved us.

"He still had his sense of humour though."

He died on November 12, next to his wife and daughter Kirsty.

In his memory, Jamie held a charity football match on Sunday, against the Iceni Wanderers at Alresford Football Ground.