Mum saves life of man in street
19-YEAR-OLD LEARNED CPR FOR SON
A HERO mum saved a man’s life after resuscitating him on the side of a County Durham road.
Megan James, 19, was near Harbour Walk in Seaham with her toddler when she heard a call for help and noticed a man lying unconscious.
She saw his friend trying to perform CPR on him and ran over to help.
Megan, who had CPR training after her son was born, realised the man was not breathing and took over the chest compressions.
She said: “I wasn’t sure if his friend was doing the chest compressions right so I took over.
“I checked his pulse as I wasn’t sure if the man had done it, so made sure he had a pulse and then started the compressions.
“I started counting compressions and was doing that over and over again.
“I kept counting and counting until the man took a massive breath.
“I was about to put him in the recovery position and the paramedics turned up and they pretty much took over.
“The paramedic said ‘You have probably saved the man’s life.’”
Paramedics and police were called to Harbour Walk, near St Magdalene Church at around 3.45pm on Thursday.
Megan, who is mum to twoyear-old Elijah, said the man taking a breath was a huge relief.
She said: “When he took that breath, I just felt relief.
“I just wanted to cuddle him. I’m so grateful he got that second chance in life.
“You could see he was struggling in life and his friend was as well.”
Megan has been told the man is now at home and doing well.
She added: “Hopefully he gets a second chance at life and helps himself.”
Megan, who was with Elijah at the time, received CPR training through Daisy First Aid.
She said: “When my little boy was born I wanted to get first aid training for babies and then I asked what you should do if it is an adult.
“It was around a year ago and I didn’t even think twice about doing it.”
Megan thanked the elderly woman who watched her little boy during the incident.
She said: “I just want to say thank you to the lovely lady who stood with my son while I was with the man and then calmed me down once the paramedics arrived.”
A spokeswoman for the North East Ambulance Service said: “We were called on Thursday afternoon to reports of two medical incidents in the Seaham area.
“They were in two different locations but are believed to be linked.
“Both absconded the scene.”