Life-saver legacy from tragic dad

'Ultra-fit' Andy had died during run

- BY JON MACPHERSON AND CHRIS GEE

AN 'ultra-fit' dad of-three who died while running with friends at a beauty spot has left a life-saving legacy.

Andy Haines suffered a sudden heart attack while running on Holcombe Hill near Rossendale with five other members of the Holcombe Harriers group. The 45-year-old sadly could not be saved.

The former reservist soldier, who served in Iraq, was described by his wife, Andrea, as a 'loving and devoted family man' with a passion for running, mountain biking, mountaineering and kayaking.

He held the position of sales director at his family's lab equipment firm and had been Andrea's partner for 21 years.

The couple had only been married for a year before his untimely death.

He was 'totally besotted' with their three sons, Sam, 16, Isaac, 11 and eight-year-old Joshua.

Andrea recalled the events of the tragic night last November which forever changed their lives.

She said: "On Thursday nights I would take two of the lads to rugby and Andy would go running with Holcombe Harriers.

"He was umming and ahhing about whether to go and as I went out with the boys he said the usual 'see you later love, I love you! He phoned me at 6.50pm to say he'd decided to go running.