Highfield heroes - Blackpool pupils help elderly man with first aid skills after fall

Three pupils were praised after they used their first aid skills to help an elderly man.
Highfield pupils Levi Burke, Josh Baggaley and Mackenzie Thomas, all aged 13, used their first aid skills to help a man in need and have been recognised with 'Unsung Hero' awards.Highfield pupils Levi Burke, Josh Baggaley and Mackenzie Thomas, all aged 13, used their first aid skills to help a man in need and have been recognised with 'Unsung Hero' awards.
Highfield pupils Levi Burke, Josh Baggaley and Mackenzie Thomas, all aged 13, used their first aid skills to help a man in need and have been recognised with 'Unsung Hero' awards.

Levi Burke, Josh Baggaley and Mackenzie Thomas, all 13, were making their way home from Highfield Leadership Academy in South Shore when they saw a man fall from his mobility scooter.

The quick-thinking Year Eights sprung into action, using the training they were given for the secondary school’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF).

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Mackenzie said: “To be faced with a real life first aid situation was a bit scary because it was a big responsibility to get it right. We didn’t want to hurt him.”

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After rushing to the pensioner’s aid on Wednesday, May 12, the trio realised he was breathing but was having trouble talking.

They stayed with him, offering reassurance, until ambulance crews arrived.

They helped paramedics move the scooter – with ambulance chiefs saying they are a “credit to the school, their parents, and most of all themselves”.

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Highfield headteacher Andrew Galbraith said the youngsters had “demonstrated the value of their first aid training” and were “an absolute credit to the school”.

He added: “For pupils of this age to act with such empathy, bravery and care demonstrates an incredible level of maturity and compassion.

“These pupils are a wonderful example of the kindness that exists within our school community and the kindness that extends beyond our school’s walls and into our wider community.”

In December, pupil Alex Whitehead used his own first aid training to help another elderly man who collapsed at a bus stop, with Mr Galbraith describing the CCF’s training course as “clearly of huge value”.

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