Somerset boy uses first aid training to help injured skateboarder
A schoolboy from the Somerset city of Wells has been praised for using his quick wits and first aid training to help a skateboarder who had broken his leg.
Patrick Woods, 11, was visiting a skatepark in Watchet with his brother and grandmother when the incident occurred. He noticed that a teenage skateboarder had fallen and injured himself, and rushed to his aid.
Patrick, who had undergone first aid training since the age of five, was able to assess the teenager’s condition and work out that his leg was broken. To prevent further injury, he stabilised the limb, called an ambulance and then monitored the situation until the paramedics arrived to take the boy to hospital.
Gerald Woods, Patrick’s father and the commissioner of operations for St John ambulance in Somerset, urged others to follow his son’s example. He said:
“I’m very proud of Patrick and what he did. It goes to show that you never know where and when you may need to use first aid.
“I’d love to see more young people and adults follow his example and learn the skills that can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.”