First-aider saves a life

The importance of first aid training is highlighted in a new campaign supported by a man who was saved by a colleague.

First-aider Jonathan Brown resuscitated checkout operator Mr John Coughlin after he collapsed and stopped breathing at Morrisons, Newark, last month.

Jonathan, 18, of The Osiers, Newark, a St John Ambulance volunteer and store first-aider, said: “I was just about to go on my lunch break when I heard a commotion near the checkout.

“I heard the operator shouting: ‘Are you are all right’ and turned to see John looking as if he was about to collapse.

“By the time I could reach him he was on the floor with no signs of response or breathing.”

Jonathan called for another first-aider to help and screened Mr Coughlin from the public.

He began delivering chest compressions and got Mr Coughlin breathing again.

The second first-aider arrived but Mr Coughlin stopped breathing again so they restarted resuscitation. After more chest compressions Mr Coughlin began breathing once more.

He was unconscious when he was taken to hospital but made a full recovery.

It was the first time in three years with St John Ambulance that Jonathan needed to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Breathing

“As soon as I reached the checkout I realised how serious the situation was. He wasn’t breathing and the store manager, a bystander and another first-aider all worked together as a team,” he said.

“I remember thinking to myself ‘Are we going to be able to get him back again or is this it?’

“It felt really good to be able to make the difference and to help someone in such a positive way. First aid is a skill for life, and it has saved a life.”

Mr Coughlin, 47, of Appletree Close, Newark, is a former member of the Newark St John Ambulance Division.

“I know from being a member of St John how important first aid is in the community,” he said.

“I would like to thank Jonathan for the aid he gave and people like him that put the wellbeing of others first. It made a massive difference to me.”

The incident reflects why St John Ambulance is urging people to learn basic first aid.

Surveys have found that a quarter of people would do nothing in an emergency, and many who would try to help would use the wrong procedure.

A free pocket-sized guide featuring first-aid skills that can help in life-threatening situations is being offered to the public, who are also being encouraged to donate to the charity to help others become first-aiders.

The commander of St John Ambulance in Nottinghamshire, Mr Graham Robinson, said: “We believe that anyone who needs first aid should receive it and yet, as our latest research shows, that’s not happening.

“This highlights that we can’t rely on other people to have the skills. Everyone should take the responsibility to learn first aid themselves.

“Armed with this knowledge we can all be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.”

For a free guide, text LIFE to 85010 or for more information visit www.sja.org.uk