DMU student puts his lifesaving training into practice after finding man unconscious in street

A De Montfort University (DMU) student leapt into action after finding a man unconscious in the street.

Chris Love was able to draw on his life-saving classes taught at university when he spotted the unconscious body on Jarrom Street near to the campus.



As he called 999 to alert paramedics, Chris checked the patient was responsive and ensured the man’s airway was clear, he was breathing and had a steady pulse before moving him into the recovery position.

When the paramedic arrived he found the man had passed out from alcohol poisoning and was out cold. Once the paramedic arrived he was taken to the accident and emergency department at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

When alcohol levels rise to these critical levels, the body’s automatic functions such as breathing, maintaining body temperature and a steady heart rate starts to get affected. People are in danger of collapsing and choking on their own vomit, leading to death by asphyxiation or brain damage.

Chris, a third year Biomedical Science student with a year on placement, is a cardiac first responder and knew the risks. He automatically got to work to put the man in the recovery position, used by medics to prevent choking by keeping the airway clear.

He said: “I just saw these two feet sticking out from underneath a bush and when I stopped to look, the man was just out. He was not responding at all, but he was breathing. Everyone else was walking past but I remembered the training and called 999.

“I had to clear his airway and check he had not been sick. He was just limp, I knew he was breathing but he was completely unresponsive.”

Chris had taken a course run by #DMUlocal and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to equip students with the knowledge to take action if they saw an incident. St John Ambulance believes tens of thousands of deaths in the UK could be prevented if people knew what to do in a life-threatening situation.

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The course covers a variety of situations when met with an unconscious person, covering topics such as dealing with an unconscious person, using DR ABC, delivering CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
 
Since talking about the incident on Twitter, Chris said he had been both surprised and humbled by the people who praised his actions. He said: “I didn’t think about it, really. I just started to try to help so it has been nice to have such positive comments. Some people I told have said I should have left him because he had been drinking but I didn’t know that at the time and anyway, that could be dangerous. He was drunk but how do I know it wasn't a cardiac arrest or a stroke, which would be life threatening?"
 
Mark Charlton, Head of Public Engagement at DMU, said: “We’re proud of Chris for putting his training to such good use. As he says, it could have been much more serious and the man clearly needed medical attention.”