Three teenagers from Long Sutton raced to help a man who had collapsed on the pavement and been found semi-conscious.
Rachel Stevens, 15, Michael Ireland, 16, and Samuel Collett, 16, were walking home from training night at Long Sutton Army Cadet Force Detachment on Thursday June 12 when the drama unfolded on Bull Lane.
Using the first aid skills they had learnt in the Army Cadets, the trio were able to assess the man’s injuries, kept him warm and dry with their combat jackets and relayed vital information
to the 999 operator. They quickly discovered that the man had epilepsy and could see he had suffered head injuries from his fall.
Samuel Collett, who called for the ambulance, said: “When I saw the man my first aid instincts and training kicked in. You can do lots of theory in a classroom but until you are placed in that situation you don’t know how you will react. At first I was nervous but adrenaline soon got rid of this.”
Michael Ireland, who assessed the man’s injuries and performed the initial checks, added: “I just feel happy that there is someone somewhere who needed help and I was able to give
it. I also feel proud of not only myself but all of us in how we were all able to help in our own ways.
“The skills we learned in Cadets were invaluable to the situation and was the only reason we knew how to respond and assist in a difficult situation.”
Rachel Stevens kept the man warm and comfortable and offered reassurances that they would look after him.
She said: “Before I joined the Cadets I would have been completely useless in this situation but being in Cadets has equipped me with the skills that were needed. The man was
continually drifting in and out of consciousness but I calmly reassured him that help was on the way and that he was going to be OK.”
The paramedics who arrived on the scene praised the Cadets for their efforts and commented on how impressed they were with the Cadet’s first aid skills.
Mick Flindall, Detachment Commander for Long Sutton Army Cadet Force, said: “I am extremely proud that three of my Cadets were able to help a member of the public in a
potentially life threatening situation. They remembered their training and implemented it correctly whilst under pressure.
“The way they worked as a team is an example to all young people not just to Cadets. They are a credit to themselves, Long Sutton Detachment and the whole Army Cadet Force.”
