'Pavarotti paramedic' stuns social media with impromptu opera performance

KIRKBY, England, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A British paramedic is dealing with his new-found fame after a clip of him singing opera while in uniform went viral on social media.

Lewis Quinn, 37, a North West Ambulance Service paramedic based in Merseyside, England, earned the nickname "Pavarotti paramedic" when he was filmed singing "Nessun dorma," a song often associated with opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti.

Quinn said he studied music for eight years in the United States before joining the ambulance service. He said he was shocked when the video clip went viral on Facebook.

"Oh my, this was never meant to happen. I've only ever sang for a few colleagues before," Quinn told the Liverpool Echo. "I sing for the patients in the back of the ambulance a lot though, particularly the dementia patients. They can be quite hard to get a response out of sometimes but they enjoy it, and they always tell me if they don't!"

Quinn said he isn't terribly interested in a music career.

"I think an ambulance guy with a really classical voice is just a bit of a novelty for people," he said. "When I moved back to England two years ago I initially got this job just to tread water, but I fell in love with it. My personality doesn't suit pursuing a career in music, for that you have to be very egotistical."