‘I’m so lucky to be alive’, says The Christians’ drummer

The Christians’ drummer has said he is “so lucky to be alive” after he collapsed on stage at a festival.

Lionel Duke had a cardiac arrest during the On The Waterfront festival at Liverpool’s Pier Head in June.

Medics rushed on stage to help him as the Liverpool band performed ahead of Sting’s headline slot at the festival. He had to be put in an induced coma in intensive care.

The 58-year-old told the BBC: “Everyone thought I was going to die. I’m still in shock about what happened but I feel blessed I’m still here.”

The band – who had a Top 10 hit in 1988 with their cover of the Isley Brothers’ Harvest For The World – had only played two songs before Lionel fell ill.

The concert was halted as he was taken to hospital.

The father-of-two said: “Fortunately for me, I was in the right place at the right time.

“Everyone thought I was going to die. They were working on me for 12 minutes.

“An off-duty nurse stated that I wasn’t going to make it. I think now how lucky I was.”

He added: “I still get emotional thinking about what happened.

“It’s a lot to take in. I feel so lucky to be alive.”

Lionel was given CPR on stage by medics from the Merseyside Water Rescue (MWR) charity and members of the crowd after he fell ill.

He was then taken to Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital. He spent eight days in hospital.

The drummer, who works as an appliance fitter, said: “I’m so happy to be back on my feet.

“I’m surprised that it happened to me – there were no warning signs or I missed the warning signs.

“I have the occasional flashback and think what if this happened or what if that had happened.

“But I really can’t remember much of what happened. But now I wake up in the morning, and think it is so nice to wake up.”

Former The Police frontman Sting invited the band to play at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on 28 October after Lionel had recovered.

The drummer, who has worked for John Lewis for 15 years, said Sting “gave me a hug” when they met back stage.