saving his life after suffering a heart attack.

Mr. Lines, 65, was just one day into a business trip when he suffered an attack last week.

Then he had another cardiac arrest two days later -- as he was just about to have a stress test while he was at Hong Kong's Adventist Hospital.

But the hospital's top cardiologist, Dr. Ko, was due to see his patient for the last time yesterday to give him the final all-clear.

Mr. Lines, a director of the Bank of Bermuda and the bank's former Chief Executive Officer, spent five nights in hospital before being allowed out to his luxury hotel room at the Mandarin Oriental last Tuesday.

And he spoke to The Royal Gazette from his hotel room about his gratitude to the doctors who saved him.

Mr. Lines said: "I have to be honest and say that if I hadn't been in the right place at the right time, I probably would not be here today. I had some very difficult medical problems. Dr. Ko is one of the world's most respected cardiologists and he travels all over the world with his work.

"He has carried out some major open heart surgery operations in the US and I owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

"He and the rest of the medical team here have been absolutely superb.'' Mr. Lines, who was in Hong Kong for a series of board meetings about investment funds, was ill during the Island's biggest ever stock market crash.

He added: "It's certainly been an exciting time. But I have got to take it easy now and try not to get stressed.

"The worrying thing is that there were no real warning signs that I might have been about to have a heart attack.'' Doctors found one third of his main coronary artery was clogged up. They have inserted small stainless steel tubes which expand inside the vein.

Now Mr. Lines and his wife Janine are planning their return journey to Bermuda from the other side of the world.

They will fly to London next week to stay with their son and daughter before heading back to the Island in mid-November.