A manager who helps run emergency ambulances and crews across South Wales turned life-saver herself when a diner at a country pub suffered a suspected heart attack.
Natalie Jenkins, Duty Control Manager for Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST), was enjoying an evening meal out with family when a woman at a nearby table was taken seriously ill.
38-year-old Natalie carried out life-saving CPR and managed the situation including frightened children until paramedics arrived and the patient could be taken to hospital, where she made a good recovery.
Natalie, who lives in Treowen, Newbridge, went to the Hungry Horse in Bleadon, Somerset.
She moved to the next table where she noticed the woman looking poorly and went over to offer help and to get a glass of water.
She said:
“I could see that she was grey in colour. She was sweating and looked rather unwell.
“I managed to get all the children away from the scene said and due to her looking clammy I suggested that she would like to her remove her jumper.
“So we took her jumper off and then as she sat up, she just lost complete consciousness.”
Natalie had received CPR training as part of her work at Welsh Ambulance’s control centre in Cwmbran, and immediately began life-saving chest compressions.
“The adrenaline was running and I literally just carried on with what I was doing,” she said.
“I just took control and gave everyone instructions and told someone to ring 999. I checked with the staff whether they had any form of defibrillator.
“I’m glad that I’ve done my first aid training because it’s quite nice to know that I’d actually helped somebody and saved somebody. I was just in the right place at the right time.”
Natalie called on more people to learn CPR if they got the opportunity and not to be frightened of carrying it out and hurting someone, should they need help.
She said:
“I understand why people don’t want to give mouth-to-mouth to someone you don’t know, but at the time you really don’t give it a second’s thought. And if somebody accidentally broke my rib but saved my life, I wouldn’t mind that happening as a side-effect!
“My family are proud of me and I suppose I’m proud of myself, too. I must say, though, that I did need a large glass of gin afterwards!”
If you have a story, video or one-off blog that you would like to share with us, then you can contact our team of former emergency services & armed forces personnel either through our Facebook page, via twitter ( @ES_News_ ) or you can contact us via email: contact@emergency-services.news
If you run or manage a ‘job’ social media account and you would like us to share one of your stories then send us a tweet or a message!
If you would like to write an article that you would like us to share (it can be about anything to do with the emergency services / NHS) whether you serve in the emergency services / NHS or whether you are a member of the public that has had a good experience with the emergency services, then feel free to contact our team; anonymously if you prefer.
We are proud to act as a voice for the Emergency Services & Health Service, with over 500,000 people visiting our website each month.
Before you go...
We need your help. As former emergency services & armed forces personnel, we pride ourselves on bringing you important, fast-moving and breaking news stories & videos which are free from the negative bias which is often directed at the emergency services & NHS by some sections of the mainstream media.
One of the reasons we started 'Emergency Services News' back in 2018 was because we became tired of reading badly informed stories about the emergency services & NHS which seemed only ever to highlight negative aspects of the job.
We want to be the unheard voice of the remarkable men and women who serve in the emergency services, NHS and armed forces. And with around 500k page views each month, we are getting there!
As income from ads, the mainstay source of income for most publishers, continues to decline; we need the help of you, our readers.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
