The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Girls come to aid of man in need
Stepsisters help man who had collapsed while others walked by
Two girls came to the aid of a man who had collapsed and was being ignored by fellow passers-by.
Natalie Jeffrey (13) and Dakota Dennis (11) were on their way back to their home in The Dell, Woodston, on Wednesday last week when they spotted the stricken man in an alleyway near the cemetery.
But, while others walked by or even took a photo, Dakota went to find a friend to help while Natalie stayed by the man’s side until paramedics arrived.
Dakota said: “I went round to a friend’s house and got them to call the ambulance because the man had collapsed.
“I was really scared about what to do.
“There were loads of people just walking past and did not care there was a man on the floor.”
Natalie said: “Everybody was walking around and I felt sorry for him.”
Collette Smith, who is Dakota’s mother and Natalie’s stepmother, said: “I’m really proud of them. I was really shocked they could not get anybody who was nearby to stop.
“They were quite distressed because they found somebody on a heap on the floor.
“They tried to get people to stop. That’s my concern, that it took children to stop and do something.
“My stepdaughter stayed with the gentleman and my daughter ran down New Road to a friend of ours.
“She came out and helped get the paramedics.
“There was a picture a little bit later on Facebook of the man on the floor. The person who posted it thought it was funny.”
Collette said the girls had never been told what to do in a scenario like this, which made their actions all the more impressive.
She added: “We have never said ‘if you see someone investigate and see if they are okay’. They took it upon themselves to stop and see if he was okay and got some help.
“We were not expecting them to have to do that. I’m so proud they were able to do the right thing.”
A spokeswoman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We received a call at 4.29pm on Wednesday, August 23 from a member of the public to help a man who had reportedly collapsed.
“An ambulance and a rapid response vehicle attended. The man was checked over and discharged from the scene.”