Emily Jackson, 31, endured a torrent of physical and verbal abuse while on duty in London after responding to an emergency call at a pub one December.
The incident occurred when a man became aggressive after regaining consciousness.
Ms Jackson said: “It was this time of year – when people are out drinking or partying.
“Our patient was unconscious on the floor and I was really worried about him.
“He was struggling to breathe and I worried he was going to stop breathing and go into cardiac arrest.
“We were getting ready to do an ECG when he regained consciousness.
“He was friendly at first then suddenly switched.
“He looked ready to fight the whole pub and made sexually aggressive comments to me.
“He was throwing punches and I got hit in the face.
“It was like a horror film – I just froze.
“He threatened to rape me and said he would dump my body in an alleyway.
“That threat frightened me more than when he was throwing punches; it chilled me.”
The attacker was jailed for eight months for beating and threatening an emergency worker.
Although she was supported by her team and wanted to continue working, Ms Jackson said she had a breakdown days later.
She said: “It wasn’t the first time I’d been attacked at work, and it wasn’t the last.
“It takes its toll.”
Ms Jackson’s story is at the centre of a new campaign by London Ambulance Service (LAS) called All We Want for Christmas Is… RESPECT.
The campaign calls on the public to show respect to emergency workers, especially during the busy festive season.
As part of the campaign, the LAS released footage of a separate incident showing a patient attempting to kick and punch a paramedic before smashing her iPad.
New figures from the service reveal that 53 per cent of frontline staff in London have experienced physical violence in the past year, with 562 assaulted three or more times in that period.
In addition, 44 per cent reported being sexually harassed by patients or members of the public.
Jason Killens, chief executive of London Ambulance Service, said: “During the festive season when Londoners are celebrating, our people are working tirelessly to save lives.
“Any violence, threats or harassment is completely unacceptable.
“No one should face this at work and on top of the hurt and harm it causes our people, it can prevent us from caring for patients who need our help.
“All we are asking for is respect – on the phone, on the road and in the communities we serve.
“If abuse happens, we work with the police to ensure it is investigated and offenders are punished.”
The service believes drugs and alcohol are involved in around 40 per cent of violent incidents.
It warns that abuse is likely to rise during the Christmas party period, when more people are out socialising.
London Ambulance Service was the first in the UK to establish a dedicated Violence Reduction Unit to support staff in reporting abuse and working with police to bring offenders to justice.
All ambulances are equipped with CCTV and audio recording, and crews have the option to wear body-worn cameras.
Ms Jackson is now working on a project to better protect LAS call handlers from abuse over the phone.
