Teenager saves classmate’s life with first aid skills
A 16-year-old from the Derbyshire village of Etwall has been praised for using his first aid training to help save the life of a classmate after she suffered a seizure.
Joe Gundel, a pupil at the John Port School in Etwall, rushed to the aid of fellow pupil Ffyon John when she had a seizure, her first during school hours, during a physics lesson. Using what he learned in first aid training, Joe acted fast to move furniture out of the way and clear the space around Ffyon. He also put his coat under her head and checked her breathing and pulse once the seizure finished and Ffyon had fallen unconscious. He stayed with her until the paramedics arrived, whilst also keeping her terrified friend Shannon calm.
Speaking of the incident, Joe said:
“It just happened all of a sudden but I immediately realised that I knew what to do to help.
“All the time, I was checking Ffyon and also making sure her friend Shannon was ok – as she was quite upset too. The teacher cleared the room, apart from me, Shannon and Ffyon.
“When Ffyon came around, she was still quite woozy and vague. As a first-aider, I wanted to make sure that both girls were ok.”