The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Army cadet honoured for bravery with youth award
First aid: Teenager went to help injured woman after screwdriver attack
A north-east army cadet who rushed to the aid of a seriously injured woman has been honoured for her bravery.
Katlyn Wilson, 16, received a British Citizen Youth Award (BCYA) for helping a woman who had been attacked with a screwdriver.
The teenager responded to the brutal assault on the woman, both by offering support and first aid, and contacting the police.
The north-east youngster was also one of the cadets
“Even if I didn’t have the training, I am the type of person to help”
who previously rescued a man who fell into Macduff Harbour.
She picked up her honour during a ceremony at Westminster Palace in London.
Katlyn was walking her dog in Macduff in August, 2017, when she spotted the woman crouching and crying opposite her on Duff Street.
She intervened and eventually the woman told the cadet she had been beaten up and stabbed with a screwdriver.
Katlyn called the police and administered first aid, while checking the wound and the level of bleeding.
It was at this point the woman started to hyperventilate and Katlyn calmly got her to take deep breaths while continuing to reassure her.
The youngster is based with the Turriff Detachment of 2nd Battalion the Highlanders Army Cadet Force and is no stranger to using her first aid skills.
Just a month before the Duff Street incident, she and her fellow cadets rescued a man from the harbour.
She and her sister reassured his partner as Jordan Anderson and Kyle Chapman went to help him. Unfortunately, the man died in hospital.
All four teenagers were honoured by the Royal Humane Society.
Katlyn said the two incidents had helped her decide she wants to join the emergency services.
She said: “Because I had been doing first aid for quite a bit with the army cadet force, it helped a lot.
“Even if I didn’t have the first aid training, I am the type of person to help if someone is hurt.
“I’ve done that since I was little. All of the cadets are really proud of me.
“I stay with the cadets until I am 18, but I want to go on to university and become a paramedic.”
Ashley Banjo from dance group Diversity presented Katlyn with her medal.
He said: “What a fantastic way to recognise these young people. They are making a difference and encouraging other young people to do the same.”
The award recognises young people who impact positively on society.