Brave young first aiders save man

A team of young St John Ambulance volunteers swung into action to save the life of a man having a heart attack during a fireworks display at Sandhurst recently.

Their swift action was successful and it has earned the young first aiders a fistful of nominations for bravery awards.

The casualty, who was in the audience with his family, collapsed during the interval and volunteers was on the spot immediately, summoning the team of higher trained members with specialist skills including the use of medical gasses and an AED .

Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, KCVO, OBE, Controller of the Army Benevolent Fund, said: 'Music on Fire is the main fundraiser for the Army Benevolent Fund. Thousands of people come to it and it would be impossible to organise such a large event without the support of St John Ambulance.

'This could have been a terrible incident but St John volunteers did a brilliant job and saved his life. We are very grateful for their dedication and expertise. Well done St John.'

The team included Hannah Carpenter aged 15, (Frimley and Camberley) and Jack Walker aged 19, (Woking) manning the control unit, Henry Baines, aged 18, (Weybridge) and Sam Walker, aged 21, (Frimley and Camberley) who operated the defibrillator and gave oxygen.

Adult St John volunteers Sally-Anne Nelson (Frimley and Camberley) and Gerry McAteer (Cranleigh) also took part in the resuscitation.

The team performed manual CPR before administering a shock with the AED. Following another round of CPR, the man regained consciousness and began breathing on his own and he was taken by South East Coast Ambulance to Frimley Park Hospital.

A doctor who helped at the scene, was full of praise. 'It is wholly down to the dedication through training and quick thinking and action of the volunteers involved, that the patient remains alive today,' he said.

Nigel Huston, a member of the audience who watched the successful resuscitation said: 'Within seconds, or so it seemed, the St John Ambulance team arrived fully equipped and organised to deal most competently with the emergency. They took charge of the incident, acting with haste, but not in panic.'