Brierley Hill butcher gets public commendation for helping to save customer's life
An ambulance trust manager is urging more communities to get trained in a life saving technique after a butcher helped a customer who suffered a cardiac arrest.
Gordon Tranter, who works at Alan Warwick's in Brierley Hill, had only seen CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) being done on television when he rushed to the aid of a woman who collapsed moments after making a purchase in June.
He has since been presented with a public commendation from West Midlands Ambulance Service by its community response manager Andy Jeynes.
Mr Jeynes said: “It was a great opportunity to meet Gordon, he represents a number of people who have saved a life by performing basic life support.
"It’s a life skill similar to riding a bike, once you can do it you will never forget.
“It would be fantastic if more people were confident like Gordon to give it a go as absolutely anything you do is better than nothing at all.
“The benefits of improving bystander CPR is evidenced around the world, where the highest bystander CPR rates are linked to the highest survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest.
"At the moment over 68,000 people suffer a sudden cardiac arrest in the UK every year.
“If this happens in front of a bystander who starts CPR immediately before the arrival of the ambulance, the patient’s chances of survival doubles.”
Brierley Hill ward representative Councillor Adam Davies, who helped to organise the presentation, said: “Like so many people I was genuinely inspired by what Gordon did.
"The way he acted so instinctively and saved a life, I assumed he’d had CPR training – so when he told me he’d only ever seen CPR given on TV I was even more inspired.
"That’s why I reached out to Andy Jeynes from West Midlands Ambulance Service to make sure this selfless act of bravery got the recognition that it deserves.
“My bigger hope is that Gordon’s example will also encourage others to step up when duty calls. That’s why I’ve also created the Best of Brierley Hill Award to further raise awareness of these kind of acts of bravery here in the Brierley Hill ward, and to recognise brilliant local people such as Gordon who step up and act with no expectation of thanks or reward.”
There are plans for a CPR training evening in the town later this month.
