An Australian mother has been reunited with the paramedic who helped save her life by teaching her husband and son CPR during a dramatic triple-zero call.
The terrifying incident happened in Perth just over a month ago when Donna Edwards choked on her food before suffering a heart attack.
“It was the scariest night of my life, I’ll be honest,” Edwards said. 7News.
Mr. Edwards recalled that he was in the back bedroom watching football and his wife was eating dinner in the living room.
Her teenage son, Lachlan, discovered Ms Edwards choking and unresponsive and immediately called the emergency number.
Harrowing audio from the call reveals Ms Edwards struggling to breathe as Mr Edwards relays what he is seeing to operator Tegan.
“He’s fine, his eyes are open and he’s not doing anything,” Edwards said.
“She’s trying to breathe… she’s just gasping for air.”
St John Ambulance Triple 0 operator Tegan (pictured) trained Mr Edwards and Lachlan on how to perform CPR to save Mrs Edwards’ life.
Paramedics arrived at the scene and Ms Edwards was rushed to hospital, where she spent a month recovering.
Tegan is heard instructing Mr Edwards and Lachlan on how to perform CPR.
‘Pump your chest hard and fast, 30 times,’ Tegan said.
“At least twice a second and at least five centimeters deep.”
‘Just blow two puffs into his mouth… and tell me when you’re done.
‘The chest should rise with each breath.’
Paramedics arrived at the scene and Ms Edwards was rushed to hospital, where she spent a month recovering.
Donna Edwards (pictured) choked and suffered a heart attack before being saved by the quick actions of her husband and son.
Fortunately for Mrs Edwards, her husband had completed a first aid refresher course just a few weeks earlier.
Mr Edwards’ instructor, Monique Gillet, said that while she hopes her students never need to use their first aid skills, “you hope that if they do, they’ll be confident enough to do it.”
On Saturday, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards met Tegan, the triple-zero dispatcher.
One of the first responders to help Ms Edwards, paramedic Cody, praised Mr Edwards’ actions in saving her life.
“Derek had performed such effective CPR that he even had a pulse when we arrived, which was amazing,” she said.
“It makes our job a lot easier, but at that point she was still in respiratory arrest and had a fairly large airway obstruction.”
Tegan also praised Edwards and Lachlan, who “handled it really well” despite the critical situation.
Mrs Edwards implored everyone to get first aid training.
“It could happen to anyone at any time, and if Derek didn’t know what he knows, yeah, I wouldn’t be here, so I think it’s very important,” she said.
