The boss of a scaffolding firm used skills he learned on a first aid course to save the life of a worker who had a heart attack on site.
Ascent Access Scaffolding managing director Nathan Huband was on a site near Dudley when Raj Soni, a scaffolder whom he has worked with for 20 years, collapsed.
Huband drew on CPR skills he learned on a St John Ambulance workplace training course to help Soni before paramedics arrived.
Huband said: “I ran out to find Raj lying on the floor in our yard and, at first, it looked like he was having a seizure. At that point he was still conscious, so I put him in the recovery position.
Chest compressions
“I was giving chest compressions for around six or seven minutes before the ambulance arrived. The paramedics told me to carry on while they set up their equipment, including a mechanical CPR machine.
“They then used a defibrillator and after four or five shocks they got Raj’s heart going again. The paramedics are the real heroes.”
Soni had suffered a heart attack and stroke and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. He remains off work and in recovery.
He said: “I don’t remember anything about that day, but thankfully I’m making a good recovery, and I owe it all to Nathan. What he did was amazing; he’s a real hero.”
St John Ambulance said it was evolving its training to focus on hands-on practice and realistic scenarios. Head of education and commercial training Lisa Sharman said: “Stories like this are exactly why we’re continuing to evolve our training, using real scenarios to help more people build the confidence and competence to step forward in a real emergency.
“For Nathan, the experience is proof that first aid training isn’t just about gaining a qualification; it’s about being ready when someone needs you most.”
Huband added: “I can’t express how important these first aid courses are. I never thought this moment would come, but when I needed to act, I didn’t panic and the training kicked in.”
