Police officers use first aid skills to bring pensioner back to life seven times
Two police officers working at Heathrow Airport have been commended for their quick-thinking actions and dedication after they saved a woman’s life by resuscitating her a total of seven times.
PCs Phil Woods and Brian Crawford were on patrol at Heathrow in July 2010 when they were called to Terminal 4 by reports that a 68-year-old woman had collapsed and had stopped breathing.
Using the skills they learned in first aid training and an automated external defibrillator provided by the airport facilities manager, the two police constables performed CPR on the woman. They had to resuscitate her a total of seven times before paramedics arrived to take her to hospital.
PC Crawford describes what happened, saying:
“We kept getting a pulse, it was extraordinary as she died and kept coming back. She was quite a fighter.
“She was shocked seven times which is a record number. We took turns in contracting the chest compressions which lasted around 25 minutes, and is hard to do for a long time.”
As well as receiving praise from the Metropolitan Police Service for their rescue attempt, the two officers will also be honoured with a Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificate.