Pictured hours before he died, the father of the bride who collapsed from massive heart attack during speech at his daughter's wedding

• .Alan Bates, 65, collapsed as he stood to give his speech before dinner
• .Bride, new husband and daughter leave Yorkshire hotel to attend hospital
• .Charlotte Galbraith, 36, is proud her father walked her down the aisle

By ELLIE BUCHDAHL

A newly-married bride saw her father die of a heart attack as he stood up to make his wedding speech - just hours after he walked her down the aisle.

Alan Bates, 65, had spent the day with family and friends celebrating the marriage of his daughter Charlotte and husband Steve Galbraith, and rose to address guests at Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, when he collapsed.

Charlotte Galbraith, 36, was ushered from the room as friends who included an off-duty firefighter and an NHS worker fought to save her father's life until ambulances arrived.

Joyous occasion: Alan Bates had walked his daughter Charlotte down the aisle to marry her husband Steve Galbraith that very same day

Mrs Galbraith, her new husband, 42, and their two-year-old daughter Annabelle abandoned the wedding and rushed to Airedale Hospital, where Mr Bates was taken.

But the family, from Horsforth near Leeds, was told that nothing could be done for their father and grandfather.

Mrs Galbraith, who had been posing happily for pictures with Mr Bates moments before he died, said: 'The most important thing was my dad walked me down the aisle and saw us get married.'

Mrs Galbraith, who is now four months pregnant with her second child, said: 'It’s all a bit of a blur. Everything was fine during the ceremony and the photos.

'We had drinks and canapes then we went in to sit down.'

Speeches were held before the meal but as Mr Bates started to read his, 'he just stopped talking', Charlotte said.

Proud: Mrs Galbraith is glad her father, pictured left, was there to walk her down the aisle to marry Steve, pictured right with Mrs Galbraith

'He fell to the floor and there was just screaming and panicking.

'I got rushed out of the room by one of my best friends and was sitting in the foyer.

'I didn’t know what was going on. I was just in stunned silence really.

'It was just devastating.'

 

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Mrs Galbraith said there was no question of them finishing the wedding as they had planned - and that she is thankful her father was there to see her marry.

'It just didn’t seem that important,' she said. 'Obviously it would have been lovely to have had an evening do, but at the end of the day, the most important thing was my dad walked me down the aisle and saw us get married, and that we are married.'

Together: Family and friends including Mrs Galbraith's brother Matthew (left) and her mother Linda (second left) were celebrating the wedding in Ilkley, West Yorkshire

The couple and wedding guests including their best man and two bridesmaids have now raised nearly £1,800 in a sponsored run to pay for a defibrilator.

They hope to install  it at the training ground of Huddersfield Town FC in memory of Mr Bates, who died in October 2011, and who was a staunch supporter of the team.

The Craiglands Hotel insurance paid for a replacement defibrillator, because their equipment was nowhere to be found.

Although Mrs Galbraith doesn’t believe a defibrillator could have saved her father, she hopes it can save others.

Beloved father: Mrs Galbraith said she was proud her daughter saw her on her big day and has raised funds in his memory