Pair who saved life of collapsed man through CPR and defibrillator are honoured

TWO people who saved a man’s life after he collapsed and stopped breathing during a charity rugby match in Woolston have been honoured.

They leapt into action at Monks Sports Club on June 2 last year, Platinum Jubilee weekend, when the game turned into a life-and-death situation.

Thankfully though, an off-duty nurse and a first aid trained Army Cadet Force instructor were present and saved the day by managing to bring the man back from the brink of death.

Now, both of them are to receive national life-saving honours following their successful fight for life.

First to reach the man was the off-duty nurse, who cannot be named, and she began treating him and assessing the situation.

An announcement was also made asking for anyone with first aid training to come forward, with staff sergeant instructor Austin Snelson, of Chester-based Cheshire Army Cadet Force, rushing to the scene.

He immediately began administering cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and called for someone to bring a defibrillator to the scene.

When one was found, having only been installed in January of that year, Austin and the nurse used it to shock the man, who then began breathing again and regained consciousness.

Thanks to the swift action of the two of them, the man was then taken to Broad Green Hospital by air ambulance where he went on to survive the ordeal.

At the time, Army Cadet Force said: “It is clear that the nearby defibrillator and the initial medical treatment substantially increased his survival chance, helping him to make a full recovery.

“On behalf of the commandant, we would like to officially thank SSI Snelson for his actions.”

An air ambulance was sent to the scene

Austin and the nurse have both been awarded Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificates and have also won the personal praise of Andrew Chapman, secretary of the society.

“They were both the right people in the right place at the right time, “said Mr Chapman.

“Thankfully, they knew what to do and carried out the lifesaving procedures perfectly and to great success. The victim of the incident undoubtedly owes his life to them.

“It is essential in situations like this that CPR is administered as quickly as possible after the person collapses, and there was absolutely no delay here.

“Both rescuers richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”

The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back more than two centuries. It is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.

It was founded in 1774 by two of the day’s eminent medical men, William Hawes and Thomas Cogan. Their primary motive was to promote techniques of resuscitation.

However, as it emerged that numerous people were prepared to put their own lives at risk to save others, the awards scheme evolved, and today a variety of awards are made depending on the bravery involved.

The Society also awards non-health care professionals who perform a successful resuscitation. Since it was set up, the society has considered more than 87,000 cases and made over 200,000 awards.

The society is a registered charity which receives no public funding and is dependent on voluntary donations.