AN off-duty firefighter revived a moped rider who crashed after his heart stopped.

The man, believed to be in his seventies, was in Wivenhoe High Street, travelling towards the railway station when he lost control of his scooter.

He crashed into the back of a parked car outside the library.

Despite being revived at the scene he died at hospital.

Brendan Gibbs, 33, was one of the first people on the scene.

He gave chest compressions for about 20 minutes.

Mr Gibbs was outside the library when the drama unfolded and gave his phone to a member of the public to call 999.

He has been a firefighter for 13 years and said his training instantly kicked in.

He said: “The motorbike handlebars shook everywhere before he crashed.

“When he hit the vehicle, his helmet flew off so his face was black and blue, and bloodied.

“I gave constant chest compressions to keep him alive.”

He was accompanied by Andrew Hearn, assistant groundsman of Wivenhoe Town Council, and also an on-call firefighter.

Mr Gibbs, of Little Clacton, said: “After about 20 minutes of giving CPR, I was shouting at him not to give up.

“I bought him round the first time and on another two separate occasions I had to bring him round again.

“It was when I realised he was going into cardiac arrest that I began CPR.

“Once the paramedics arrived they asked me to continue.

"He had a pulse when he went into the ambulance.”

The ambulance service sent a rapid response vehicle, ambulance officer, ambulance crew and air ambulance to the scene, arriving within ten minutes of the call at 12.55pm.

He was taken to Colchester General Hospital with life-threatening injuries.