Real Emergency Responders in Action

The following articles are genuine worldwide reports that document emergency responders in action who used their CPR and First Aid training skills to help someone in need. Although we may have changed the names to protect their identity, the actual events happened.

Patrick was unconscious when he was pulled from the water by his mother and that's when big brother Anthony stepped in, using CPR skills he learned at school. Anthony, 17, said Patrick had stopped breathing and his lips were blue when he was pulled from the fenced pool at the family's Galston home on Monday.
It is believed he had been in the water for about five minutes. While friends and family rang triple-0, Anthony kept a cool head - placing Patrick in the recovery position, checking his mouth and starting mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Anthony learnt first aid only six months ago in his school sports class and is the only one in the family who knows CPR. "His lips were blue and he wasn't breathing but when I started the compressions and breathing, he slowly took his first breath and then he became more responsive," Anthony said. "Patrick has made a full recovery. It is definitely a miracle. He woke up from the induced coma and smiled at his mum," Mr Manassa said. "He's walking, talking, running around and eating. We're so thankful and really relieved." Mr Manassa said Patrick was very lucky, with the early CPR and quick response from EMS helping save his life.
Ref: Sydney
Australia
05.01.2012

The first few minutes that a person takes ill can be vital as emergency services race to the scene, the actions of a chosen few can mean the difference between life and death.
When Burton worker Claire Campion attended a first aid at work course, little did she know that she would be using her skills just days later to help at a road accident. She came across a car accident at around 10pm on September 17, just off the A50 between Derby and Shelton Lock. The accident had only just happened and Claire could see that there was at least one person with a head injury, as well as people suffering from shock in the other car involved.
Having attended the St John Ambulance first aid at work course just days earlier in Burton, Claire knew they needed to stop and help until the emergency services arrived. She said: “I calmed the gentleman down and attended to his bleeding head, while also comforting his wife and checking the three other people were OK.
“We made sure the emergency services had been called and my partner helped manage the traffic around the cars. “We got a fleece from the car to keep them warm and I maintained pressure on the man’s wound, while continuing to reassure him and keep him calm. We stayed with them until the emergency services arrived.
“The couple were so grateful we had stopped and helped them and couldn’t thank us enough for what we did.
“The first aid training definitely kicked in and gave me the confidence to take control of the situation. It was a great feeling to know I could help someone in need and I would encourage other people to learn first aid because you never know when you might need it.”
Ref: Burton-on-Trent
New England
27.12.2011

We first came to the assistance of a woman who collapsed at Vulcan Lane around two hours into our four-hour shift. The pair drew on first aid training, monitoring her condition and waiting by her side for an ambulance to come.
Lifeguards are trained in CPR, pain relief, defibrillation and emergency care and take refresher first aid courses every two years.
Minutes later we're in there helping this poor girl who collapsed, Irwin explains. "For a trainee guard it was good for her to see the importance of the skills we teach." We got to see it all again when a man had a seizure about an hour later. Irwin says the man was unconscious and not responding to voice and touch. While waiting for an ambulance, they put the man in the recovery position and checked his pockets to find he was on medication - something they alerted paramedics to when they arrived.
Ref: Auckland
New Zealand
12.12.2011

The bravery award winner was just 15 when he performed CPR for 20 minutes on the man, who was suffering life-threatening breathing constrictions from a throat injury.
He had only weeks earlier learnt the critical first aid skills at a senior first aid course at Hamilton Senior High School and, following the resuscitation, Dion remained calm, monitoring the man, assisting paramedics on their arrival and showing maturity beyond his years.
Dion said ..... “The firm belief in which ‘everyone can be a life saver’ is what progresses the society’s main objective, which is to ensure that all West Australians invest their time in learning rescue, resuscitation and first aid skills,”
Ref: Bibra Lake
Australia
06.12.2011

I had attended a first aid refresher course with other centre staff last week and did not hesitate to put my training into practice when I was told someone had collapsed upstairs and I shot up there. I will never forget it; he had stopped breathing and he was like stone, because his heart had stopped. I just kept on doing the CPR and a man called Jim gave him a couple of breaths of mouth-to-mouth. When he started breathing again it was incredible how the colour came back to his face.
The paramedics took over and they said we had done really well and had saved his life. I got a bit emotional afterwards – you suddenly realise what has happened. I am just so pleased that we managed to bring him back, I don’t know how I would have reacted if we had lost him. It is the first time I have ever had to do it and I was so glad that we had done our course last week.
There is no doubt that Mary saved his life and I am extremely proud of her. All the staff at the centre played their part as there were a lot of people in their 70s here, so we had to clear the building, and then clear the car park so that the air ambulance could land.
Ref: England
29.09.2011

Quick-thinking First Aider has been praised for her life-saving skills after a man collapsed in the street. Louise, 21, of Taddington, a duty manager at Bakewell swimming pool, had just renewed her first aid course when she was called on to put her training in to practice.
A 70-year-old man from Curbar collapsed outside Co-op in Bakewell. Shop staff rushed to his aid and Louise grabbed the pool’s defibrillator – a machine that gives the heart an electric shock in cases of cardiac arrest. Louise said: "Someone came into the leisure centre to say an elderly man had collapsed outside the Co-op and asked if we had a defibrillator. I’ve had defib training with work and took ours out to the man who didn’t seem to be breathing. He looked like he’d cracked his head when he fell because there was blood on the pavement. I administered a shock which seemed to re-start his heart and then took over the CPR from the people who were helping at the scene. I probably did this for about ten minutes until the ambulance arrived, but it was all a bit of a blur really.
Ironically I only did my ‘First Aid at Work’ renewal course last week. I don’t regard myself as a hero or anything like that – I was just doing what I’m trained to do. I’m just glad everything I’ve been taught kicked in and I was able to help.
Ref: England
02.09.2011

Members of the Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club pulled together to save the life of a fellow bowler who collapsed on the green earlier this month. Using first aid training and one of the city's automated external defibrillators, the bowlers rushed to the aid of the man, who is now recovering in a Victoria hospital with his wife by his side.
Nanaimo began installing AEDs in a number of buildings three years ago. Every major recreational facility, as well as city hall, now have the machines, which deliver high-powered shocks to patients experiencing heart trouble. Gene Cote had just won first place in the club singles novice tournament on Aug. 14 and was walking off the bowling green when he fell to the ground unconscious. Club president Jeff Dixon said that members reacted quickly. One person ran to retrieve the AED from the community centre adjacent to the lawn bowling club, another called 911, and two began to perform CPR. With the coaching of the 911 operator and the instructions provided by the AED, members were able to assess Cote and apply one shock.
"Because of the teamwork and how everybody came together, hopefully we were instrumental in having Gene with us still," said Dixon. "Everybody really pulled together." He added that one of the people present has medical training and another, a female bowler, had taken a first aid course a few years ago. The two worked together to provide CPR until the AED arrived. Dixon said that the incident has served for a wakeup call for the bowling club, which will meet soon to discuss plans to purchase an AED of their own.
Ref: Canada
27.08.2011

Mr Walters, a bus driver for 10 years, had pulled into Dunedin on June 29 when one of his passengers, a Japanese woman in her early 20s, stopped breathing and began having a seizure. He and another passenger performed CPR on the woman until emergency services arrived. He then helped calm his other passengers, before hopping back in the driver's seat and taking them to Invercargill.
His actions were credited by ambulance officers as being the difference between life and death for the woman.
Yesterday, fighting tears, Mr Walters said he had later visited the emergency department at Dunedin Hospital, where staff told him the woman had been discharged. He still did not know what had caused her to stop breathing but was pleased to hear he had helped save her life, he said.
Ref: Australia
29.07.2011

When an elderly woman collapsed and stopped breathing, a hotel receptionist saved her life.
Julie Smith, 47, from Llandudno, was working a night shift at the Tynedale Hotel on the North Shore promenade when Freda Madden collapsed during the last dance of the evening.
Julie, who has been a St John Wales member for just two years, rushed to the 87-year-old and put her vital first aid knowledge into practice. “I quickly utilised my first aid training and found she wasn’t breathing. I started CPR and continued for about five or six minutes until the ambulance arrived,” she said. "It was quite daunting at the time, but I knew I had the knowledge and confidence to help her."
Freda, from Stoke-on-Trent, regained consciousness in the ambulance and was taken to hospital where she had a defibrillator fitted and spent the following two weeks in recovery.
Members of her family have thanked Julie for saving her life and recently sent a thank you letter and a £100 cheque out of appreciation.
Julie added: "It’s a fantastic feeling to know I have saved someone’s life. She was able to celebrate her 87th birthday a few weeks later as well, which is lovely."
Keith Dunn, chief executive of St John Wales, said: “Having first aid knowledge can really be the difference between life and death as this incident shows. "We believe everyone should have these lifesaving skills as you never know when a loved one, friend or colleague may need them."
Ref: North Wales
United Kingdom
07.07.2011

When Candy Marsh attended a first aid course at work little did she know that just a few days later it would end up saving her grandmother’s life.
On June 3, after an evening out, the 26-year-old from Wingerworth, Chesterfield, returned home and said goodnight to her grandma, Constance Mary Marsh, 81, (known as Mary). But within five minutes her nan was complaining of feeling faint, and then suddenly slumped unconscious. Knowing there was no time to lose, Candy immediately put Mrs Marsh into the recovery position and phoned for an ambulance.
Whilst relaying information to the emergency operator, Candy then realised that her nan had stopped breathing, and quickly started to perform CPR – chest compressions and rescue breaths. After a few attempts – much to Candy’s relief - her grandma took a big gasp. But her breathing soon became shallower and she stopped breathing again. Candy started CPR again – and again her nan gasped back to life.
The emergency operator told Candy to open the door as the paramedics would soon be there – and in the time it took to open the door and return back to Mrs Marsh – she had stopped breathing for a third time. Candy started CPR again and got her grandma breathing again just as the paramedics arrived.
Candy, a children’s centre worker for Arkwright Children’s Centre, attended a St John Ambulance First aid at work course at the end of May through Derbyshire County Council. "It was a horrendous sequence of events and the reality is that if I hadn’t done my first aid training my nan would probably not be with us now," said Candy. The paramedics and the doctors at the hospital said that if it hadn’t been for the first aid I gave her she probably would have died. "Now I’m telling everyone how important it is to learn first aid – it really is the difference between life and death."
Ref: Derbyshire
England
29.06.2011

I grabbed the AED, not knowing what was going on. I didn't know if somebody just fell or what," Edmondson said. He still doesn't know why he grabbed it, but the automated external defibrillator was his first thought, just in case it was needed. Sebestik met Edmondson outside the pro shop with a golf cart. When they reached hole 17, Edmondson saw frequent golfer of Lake of the Woods, James "Jim" Brandenburg, 64, of Mahomet, lying on the ground not breathing. No pulse.
Brandenburg's playing partners, Mike Wattles and Gary Peterson, both of Mahomet, were administering CPR. I told them to step away, because we could hook up the AED," Edmondson said. "When you put it on, it walks you through. It's kind of foolproof. Edmondson and other nonseasonal employees of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District are trained to operate AEDs as well as practice full first aid.
I opened it up and put the pads on," Edmondson continued. "It checked all the vitals, and it said, 'Administer shock.'
I told everybody to just kind of stand back and pushed the button. (Jim) gave a little jump and a breath, and I felt he had a little pulse going. The AED checked Brandenburg's vitals again, and it said, "No shock required," which meant his heart was going.
Right then, the EMTs showed up, and they took over CPR. The ambulance showed up, and they got him to the hospital.
Ref: Brandenburg
United States
24.05.2011

17-year-old softball player collapsed while playing basketball. Her coach, Ricky, a Sound Beach resident acted fast and helped save Hilary's life.
I immediately came to her side to evaluate the situation and noticed she was unconscious so I told John to call 911 right away. I maintained an open airway as long as I thought she was breathing because she was on her side. Within a minute or two her breathing started to labor and get intermittent and I realized she actually stopped breathing because her face turned purple. We rolled her on her back and sent a student to run and get the school's AED machine.
I did about two rounds of CPR and the AED came. Within about a minute after turning the AED on we were able to attach the pads and deliver a shock it called for one because there was no pulse. Immediately after, I went back to CPR and a minute later, EMS showed up.
Ref: Port Jefferson Patch
United States
06.05.2011

Bystander turned into a lifesaver to bring a man back from the brink of death.
46-year-old Jim was playing a friendly weekly indoor soccer game at Kids Sports in East Spokane on March 30th. He is a father of two and the picture of health. He isn't just fit; he's a triathlete who has finished two Ironman competitons in Coeur d'Alene. He had just come off the field and sat down. Jim was talking to teammates when suddenly his words trailed off. His heart stopped and he went into cardiac arrest.
Kelvin, teammate and owner of Kids Sports, was next to Jim and he suddenly realized he had to perform CPR. Kelvin grasped for his CPR instructor's words. While he couldn't remember exact ratios he remembered to pump. Kelvin kept the blood circulating through Jim's heart as others called 911.
Paramedics raced to Jim's aid and used a defibrillator to shock his heart back into beat. That's when Kelvin knew Jim would make it.
Ref: Northwest Cable News
America
05.05.2011