As Matthew O’Toole sat sweating and nauseous on a bench, many passers-by simply walked straight past him. But one woman felt she had to stop to help — and swiftly realised that Matthew was having a stroke. She called 999. Now, Matthew, a 47-year-old father of two, from Farnham, Surrey, is making a good recovery. As has been widely reported, his wife Georgina, 44, set about tracking down the Good Samaritan online, to thank her personally for what she did for Matthew that day last month — and the two are now in touch. Such a scenario is not as uncommon as it may sound. We spoke to three people who nearly died — and the strangers who saved them — about their dramatic rescues and the bonds that have since formed between them.