An off-duty paramedic saved the life of a fellow bus passenger who suffered an apparent heart attack, emergency service ER24 said on Tuesday.
“A man in his late 40s was successfully resuscitated this morning after he suffered an apparent heart attack on a bus travelling on Ottery Road in Cape Town,” said ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring.
The off-duty paramedic – an ER24 employee – was travelling on a bus to work when he noticed that one of the passengers was experiencing difficulty in breathing.
“The patient apparently clutched his chest and fell to the ground unconscious,” said Meiring.
The paramedic then initiated CPR, having found that the man showed no signs of life. Within minutes, the man’s vital signs returned.
The bus then pulled over outside of the Ottery Fire Station where local firefighters and an awaiting ER24 ambulance crew provided the necessary assistance before the man was transported to Victoria Hospital for further treatment.
“ER24 urges members of the public to learn basic CPR as early intervention can mean the difference between life and death,” said Meiring.
African News Agency