A quick-thinking youngster may have saved his father's life after making an emergency phone call from the hard shoulder of the M5. Police this week praised the calm attitude and bravery of young Jago Deighton, 8, whose father fell ill while driving along the motorway. Jago, from Torpoint, and his father Neil Stewart were on their way to Birmingham when Neil suffered a diabetic attack while driving. He managed to pull into a lay-by but then fell into a diabetic coma. Jago rang his mother back in Torpoint, who then called 999, saying that her son was sitting with his unconscious father in a car somewhere between Devon and Birmingham. Emergency call handler Kath Doyle managed to keep Jago calm on the telephone while trying to trace the vehicle and bring medical help. Jago was able to read the satellite navigation system and told Kath that they were still on the M5. Then without being told, he spotted a road sign for the B3133. This enabled police to pinpoint the car's location to the M5 Clevedon junction and within three minutes, an ambulance and police were on the scene. Mr Stewart was then taken to Weston-super-Mare general hospital by ambulance and then released the following day. Jago told the Cornish Times he had been very scared at the time but had done what he could. 'I just wanted to help my Dad,' he said. After his recovery, Neil said how proud he was of what his son had done, adding: 'To be honest, he did more than anyone expected. At the end of the day, he's just a kid and he probably did better than an adult. It's unbelievable.' Superintendent Peter Strawbridge of Devon and Cornwall police said: 'The actions of the young boy and the police staff and officers involved showed how vital team work and quick thinking are when dealing with a potentially life- saving situation. 'Kath was able to keep the boy calm in what must have been a very frightening situation, while her colleagues in the control room and Avon and Somerset police helped trace the vehicle and offer medical assistance.'
