Member-only story
A Man Collapsed in the Street
Why I need to do a first aid course
On Friday, I was walking through the city. I’d had a beer with workmates and was talking to my mum on the phone. I was also debating about whether to go home or to a Spanish-English language exchange I’d signed up for. Pretty ordinary stuff. And then I heard a giant thwacking noise.
Five metres from me, a man was lying crumpled and motionless on the ground.
I hadn’t seen him, so I don’t know if he’d tripped or passed out. But the sound I’d heard was his head hitting the hard bluestone pavement. It’s not the kind of sound a person’s head should make.
A few people gathered around, including a security guard who called the ambulance right away. I put my hand on the man’s shoulder and asked if he was okay. He didn’t reply. His eyes were open but unfocused. I could see him breathing, which was a relief because none of the people who’d gathered knew first aid.
Blood from under the man’s head started trickling down the pavement and I felt a little dizzy.
The emergency services operator told us not to move him. Because we knew he was breathing and an ambulance was on its way, the only thing we could do was try to comfort the man. Besides his breathing, he didn’t move at all. His legs were skewwhiff and one arm was…
