Twickenham man saves woman using CPR taught by paramedic mum

The son of a London Ambulance Service (LAS) paramedic has helped save a woman’s life after she collapsed on a train while he was on holiday abroad.

James Bird, 20, from Twickenham, west London, came to the woman’s aid when the train made an emergency stop and she was found unresponsive on the platform.

He recognised she had gone into cardiac arrest and immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – a skill he had learned just months earlier from his mother Claire Bird, who is part of the LAS’s London Lifesavers team as a community resuscitation trainer.

“It can be quite scary being involved in a big emergency like that,” Mr Bird said.

“You have to remain calm and what you remember from the training kicks in.”

Mr Bird had taken part in one of the ambulance service’s pop-up training events led by his mother, who teaches CPR and defibrillator use to Londoners of all ages.

His mum said she was “incredibly proud” of him.

“I’m so happy that my training has given him confidence to try to save someone’s life,” she said.

Mr Bird urged others to learn CPR, saying: “Anyone can learn how to save a life. You just never know when you might need these skills.”

Sam Palfreyman-Jones, head of community resuscitation and training at the LAS, said: “It’s so vital that young people know these life-saving skills.

“Seventy-six percent of cardiac arrests happen at home and learning them could mean you’re ready to save someone you love.”

The LAS said its Lifesaver Schools Programme will continue this term, offering free training to Year 8 pupils across the capital.

It will also run sessions during the London Life Hike in Southwark Park next month, a fundraising event to help buy defibrillators.