Family says critically-ill son had not taken drugs

The family of a 28-year-old Shropshire man who is critically ill in hospital today said his illness was not drug related.

The man is on life support at Wrexham's Maelor Hospital.

His parents said he had fallen asleep at his Oswestry home while watching a film with a friend and failed to wake up.

His friend called an ambulance and paramedics carried out life saving treatment after he stopped breathing on Wednesday morning.

They took him to the hospital where he remained in a critical condition in intensive care today. His family remain at his bedside.

Doctors have told his family he may have choked while asleep which led to him going into cardiac arrest.

His parents, who flew back off holiday early to be at their son's bedside, said it could have happened to anyone and no drugs were involved.

His mother said: "He had a couple of cans of lager, went to sleep and didn't wake up. It was not drugs related in any way. The doctors have told us it could have happened to anyone and there was no sign of drugs in his system.

"His heart stopped unexpectedly. He had fallen to sleep watching television and his friend woke up to find he wasn't breathing.

"The paramedics were there within seven minutes and got his heart beating again - they were fantastic."

His mother said her son was fully ventilated in the intensive care unit and the doctors did not yet know how long he was not breathing for.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Edwards, of Shropshire police, said the police were not investigating the man in connection with the use of the drug GHB.