Wollongong teenager performs life-saving CPR thanks to first-aid training

Wollongong teenager performs life-saving CPR thanks to first-aid training

When Paul Gaffney left home one Saturday morning in March to play a footy match in Wollongong, he had no idea that within a couple of hours, he'd be lying flat on his back, with his chest bare and his life in the hands of a teenage stranger.

Fortunately for Mr Gaffney, Nathaniel West, then 17, who was volunteering at the Wollongong Police Citizens Youth Club, was on his lunch break when he heard that a man had collapsed on the football field.

He put his lunch down and leapt into action.

I jumped up like a snake out of the grass," he said

Trained in first-aid, Mr West grabbed a defibrillator from the PCYCand ran to the field, where he saw a member of the public performing CPR on Mr Gaffney, a 43-year-old father, whose children include a newborn.

Mr West checked for Mr Gaffney's pulse and, when he couldn't find it, he cut off Mr Gaffney's shirt and applied the defibrillator pads to his chest.

After five minutes of chest compressions, Mr West shocked Mr Gaffney twice — in between performing CPR — to restart his heart.

Mr Gaffney, who plays for the Gerringong Lions, regained consciousness as paramedics were arriving to help.

Key points:

• Nathaniel West revived 43-year-old Paul Gaffney after he went into cardiac arrest
• The teenager performed CPR and shocked Mr Gaffney with a defibrillator to restart his heart
• Mr Gaffney has finally had a chance to meet the teenager who saved his life

Fit and well

Mr West said he was happy to see Mr Gaffney fit and well and still able to play soccer.

Mr West, who has just turned 18 and now works at the PCYC, says that because he had been trained in first-aid at the club, he was able to use his skills during the life-threatening incident.

"I've always been told to do the right thing and I try to do that as much as I can he said.

Definitely the training helped.

I was a bit shaky [afterwards], but then once all the proper processes were done it kind of just felt normal.

Afterwards I packed up the gear and went back and had my lunch.

Ultimate achievement'

Chief Inspector Paul Allman of the Youth Command praised Mr West's heroic actions.

"What we've seen is our ultimate achievement — a young man, a part of the PCYC family, who participated in all our key courses and taking away from that some ultimate life skills … the ability to save Mr Gaffney's life," he said.

He also said it was important for most public places to have a defibrillator on site.

I know the push for defibrillators across the state is on the increase, but [it's also] very important to be trained up in first-aid he said.

As a result of the incident, the Michael Hughes Foundation and ZOLL Medical's Heroes for Life program is donating a new defibrillator to the PCYC in Queanbeyan.

The donation is part of the charity's ongoing mission to raise awareness about the importance of first-aid being delivered to patients within minutes of a heart-related medical episode.