Dave Aspery was no stranger to keeping his heart in top condition. He jogged, played football, hit the gym, maintained a balanced diet, steered clear of booze and cigarettes, and following decades serving in the Navy, Fire Brigade and as a mine rescue technician, seemed every bit the picture of health at 63.

"He had always been active, healthy and someone everyone relied on. I grew up watching him look after himself with the mindset of exercise being important," his daughter, health and strength coach Phoebe Aspery, says. His emergency services background also meant he was trained in using defibrillators and performing CPR – skills that could mean the difference between life and death.

So when he suddenly took ill on his way back from work in September, Phoebe reckons he understood immediately what was unfolding. "He'd spoken to my mum at about five o'clock to tell her he'd be home at six and that all was fine. They were laughing on the phone. Then, as he was driving home with a colleague, he pulled over and asked him to drive because he didn't feel well.

"My dad was never ill. But I know the decision to pull the car over ultimately saved his colleague's life. Even in that moment, I know he did it intentionally, because that's who he was," Phoebe, 35, says.

"Phoebe was at her parents' home in Teesside that afternoon when Dave ran inside, told wife Jane, 59, to call an ambulance and to get a defibrillator before collapsing on the floor. He took off his belt and shirt ready for the lifesaving shock as Phoebe's brother Cam rushed to the nearest station to get a defibrillator. Dave's wife Jane delivered CPR until a friend arrived with the defibrillator."

The first responder turned up, followed by a doctor, then the Great North Air Ambulance crew arrived and Phoebe stood frozen in shock and disbelief as Dave, who had been out running with her just days earlier, passed away in the family home. "I just went into freeze mode. I couldn't do anything but watch. It was so distressing. They worked on him for 40 minutes, but they couldn't save him."

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Dave died in Jane's arms with Cam, Phoebe and family dog Rupert by his side. "It was so traumatic. Losing your dad like that is a pain that nothing can prepare you for. Me and my brother are absolutely devastated but for my mum - he was her life partner. They have been married 42 years," says Phoebe.

"It's one of those things that you'll never understand until you go through it. It's just a pain that I didn't even know existed."

The post mortem results showed that Dave had suffered a heart attack triggered by ischaemic heart disease - damage that had shown no symptoms whatsoever. Phoebe is now speaking out to urge other fit and healthy middle-aged people to get vital health checks.

"Ischaemic heart disease is something that can just develop in midlife, and it's not always hereditary. If you're fit and healthy, you'll never know you've got it.," she said. "We want screenings to be made available and accessible, funding and more research to make sure people don't lose their lives early like my dad did."

According to Dr Roy Jogiya, Chief Medical Advisor at Heart Research UK, ischaemic heart disease continues to be amongst the UK's biggest killers. The condition occurs when fatty deposits narrow the arteries that supply blood to the heart, limiting oxygen reaching the heart muscle.

Dr Jogiya explains: "Recognising warning signs is vital. Chest pain or pressure, discomfort spreading to the arm, neck or jaw, unexplained breathlessness, dizziness, or unusual fatigue should never be ignored. Symptoms can be subtle, particularly in women and people with diabetes, so early assessment is essential.

"At Heart Research UK, we remain committed to funding vital research, improving awareness, supporting prevention, and helping people protect their heart health today and tomorrow."

Roughly 300 mourners attended Dave's funeral. "After he died, we found out just how much he had such a huge impact on everyone else's lives. He was such a humble and quiet man, but was a role model to everyone. He was a father figure to so many people," Phoebe reflects sadly.

The family are now facing their first new year without him. "I could never have imagined that Christmas 2024 would have been his last. He was running, strength training, playing football. Days before we lost him we were out running together and I couldn't keep up. "We all miss him so much.

We don't know how to plan it or make decisions, but we will do things that make us feel like my dad's included still. We talk about him every day and know that he would expect us to keep smiling."