HERO SAVES LIFE OF OUR VERY OWN ‘DR DOLITTLE’
QUICK-THINKING COLLEAGUE PERFORMS CPR ON RESORT’S WILDLIFE RESCUE FOUNDER
‘Without Aaron, mum wouldn’t be here now’
THE founder of Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue owes her life to her heroic friend and colleague who carried out emergency CPR when she suffered a cardiac arrest.
Linda Bass was out on a rescue near Tesco Extra on Monday, January 4 when she suddenly became unwell and stopped breathing.
Her family say they will forever be grateful to Linda’s ‘right hand man’ at the charity, Aaron Goss, and say without him, she wouldn’t be alive today. Linda, 67, is now recovering at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby and the family are hopeful she will not suffer any long-term effects from her ordeal thanks to the prompt action from Aaron.
Linda is well known for nursing hundreds of wild animals back to good health along with her team, including Aaron, 21, who has been volunteering for the last five years.
They were attempting to help an injured fox in Grimsby last Monday when the cardiac arrest happened. Emma Cole, Linda’s daughter, said: “It was a horrendous day but without Aaron, Mum wouldn’t be here now. “It was incredible how calm he was able to stay in such a situation. “They had been to help an injured fox which had been around the Tesco Extra store on Victoria Street for several days.
“Apparently there was something not quite right with mum while they were there and she kept dropping things. “When she went to move the car, she stopped suddenly in an odd position, and Aaron realised something was wrong.
“She’d stopped breathing at the wheel, and he started working on her chest straight away and radioed for paramedics.
“At first he thought it was a transient ischaemic attack - a ‘mini stroke’ - but then realised she’d gone into cardiac arrest.
“The Tesco staff were amazing as well. They brought the defibrillator and were able to use it straight away.” Emma added: “We were told at the hospital that her chances of survival were slim at best.
“But she’s pulled through, and because there was no oxygen deprivation to her brain, we don’t think there will be any long-term effects.
“We can’t thank Aaron enough. Mum has always adored him and everything he has done has been wonderful.” Linda has been described as Cleethorpes’ Dr Doolittle for the love and care she’s shown hundreds of poorly animals over the last 40 years. She frequently pays for vet bills out of her own pocket and nurses them through the night.
This is not the first time Aaron has helped someone with a medical emergency.
He went to the aid of a choking pensioner during the first lockdown when he was working as a delivery rider. He attempted to clear the 88-yearold woman’s airways and stayed with her until an ambulance arrived.