Local coastguard praised for lifesaving roadside CPR effort

A heroic coastguard found himself leading an inland life-saving rescue after discovering a cyclist collapsed by the roadside.

Southport’s Coastguard Rescue Officer Graham Lawton was on his way home when he came across a cyclist who had collapsed on the A565 last month receiving CPR from a member of the public.

Alongside an A&E nurse and paramedic, was able to administer urgent medical care, including use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Graham said: “We (Coastguard Rescue Officers) all have medical first aid training, including CPR, so I thought I might be able to help,” he said. “I also carry my own defibrillator and thought this might be needed too.

“I asked if anyone was medically trained and the woman giving chest compressions said she was a paramedic and the man on airway control said he was an A&E nurse. Two others that had stopped were also CPR trained.

“So it was clearly not that guy’s time to die – not that many people can do CPR normally.”

He added: “It goes to show just how vital a skill it is. That man is alive because he was lucky that those that stopped had this training. I really would urge others to do the course, it isn’t that hard to learn but it could be the difference between life and death.”

All Coastguard Rescue Officers are trained at an enhanced level of pre-hospital Casualty Care including Basic Life Support such as CPR, airway control and AED use.”