An off-duty nurse had just been out for a walk in Seaburn when, along with two police officers, she saved the life of a man suffering a cardiac arrest.
Sarah Watson, a junior sister at Sunderland Royal, came to the aid of John Walker, 69, as he fell ill at the wheel of his parked car in Dykelands Road on March 11 this year. Sarah, with Det Const Paddy Little and PC Jonathan Buckster of Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary respectively, worked together to help John out of his care and perform CPR.
Further emergency colleagues soon arrived, and John is back on his feet. With wife Jean, he presented Sarah with flowers and chocolates to thank her for her quick thinking, while they have been reunited with the police officers too.
Read more: Police rescue missing Northumberland pensioner with dementia just 'metres from the sea'
Sarah said she felt helping had been the natural thing to do. She said: "I was just out for a walk. I saw the car had pulled over and a lady making a phone call. She looked distressed so I went to see what had happened.
"I was asked to help pull the man out of the car and then started CPR. We all kept going until the ambulance arrived The nurses caring for him at hospital let him ring me and his wife later bought me flowers and chocolates, which was lovely.
"I don’t think anyone else would have done anything different to what we did. It’s nice to know he’s now doing well."
Speaking afterwards, John said: “It was difficult for me to remember what had happened at first – and it took me quite a few days after having two heart attacks for it to sink in properly while I was in hospital. I know that I had started shivering and not making sense before taking ill while I was in my car parked up at the Seaburn coast, waiting for my wife Jean.
"I just feel very lucky that Paddy, Jonathan and Sarah were there to help me – and to all of the emergency services who arrived so quickly and were absolutely fantastic with me and Jean. We are so grateful for their amazing support and I can’t thank them enough for saving my life. Never will I forget them."
Melanie Johnson, the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust's director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, said: “We are hugely proud of Sarah’s action to help save this man’s life alongside these off duty officers.
"Our staff go above and beyond every day in their jobs, but this shows the skills they learn can be put into action at any time. It’s never too late to learn CPR and you never know when it can be used to help save a life. We are pleased to hear Mr Walker is making a good recovery and wish he and his wife well following what must have been a very upsetting experience.”
Learn more about how to perform CPR here.
READ NEXT:
- Join ChronicleLive's WhatsApp community for breaking news and top stories
- Newcastle mental health wards 'not fit for purpose' warns regulator as NHS trust told it must improve
-
Durham academics continue marking boycott amid pay dispute and urge bosses to back them 'for sake of students'
- Charity boss on 'concerning' rise in mental health crisis referrals amid cost of living pressures
