A paramedic’s son from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) played a crucial role in saving a woman’s life after she fainted on a train while he was vacationing overseas.

James Bird, a 20-year-old resident of Twickenham in west London, sprang into action when the train made an emergency halt and the woman was discovered unresponsive on the platform.

Recognizing that she had suffered a cardiac arrest, he promptly initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a technique he had recently acquired from his mother, Claire Bird, who serves as a community resuscitation trainer with the LAS’s London Lifesavers team.

“In a high-pressure emergency like that, it can be quite overwhelming,” Mr. Bird shared. “You need to stay composed, and the skills you learned in training just come to you.”

He had participated in a training session organized by the ambulance service, which his mother led, where she educates individuals of various ages on how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator.

His mother expressed immense pride in his actions, stating, “I’m thrilled that my training has empowered him to attempt to save a life.”

Mr. Bird encouraged others to learn CPR, emphasizing, “Anyone can acquire these life-saving skills. You never know when you might need them.”

Sam Palfreyman-Jones, who oversees community resuscitation and training at the LAS, remarked on the importance of equipping young people with such critical skills, pointing out, “Seventy-six percent of cardiac arrests occur at home, and knowing how to respond could be life-saving for someone you care about.”

The LAS announced that its Lifesaver Schools Programme will continue this term, providing free training to Year 8 students throughout the city. Additionally, training sessions will take place during next month’s London Life Hike at Southwark Park, a fundraising initiative aimed at acquiring more defibrillators.