First-aider Simon's instincts took over after woman's changing room collapse
AS soon as personal trainer Simon Tranter had checked over the woman who had collapsed in the changing rooms, he knew she had suffered a stroke.
And, because he recognised the signs and symptoms, he knew exactly what he needed to do to help her.
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Simon put the woman into the recovery position, made sure he kept her conscious and realised he needed to call an ambulance.
The 31-year-old, who works at the leisure club at the Marriott Breadsall Priory Hotel, said: "When I saw her, I didn't know what was wrong at first.
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"But when I realised what had happened, I was glad I was able to help her.
"And I felt proud that I did – even though it didn't sink in straight away."
Because of Simon's knowledge of first aid, the woman was quickly taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham by paramedics.
He has since been told by her husband that she is now recovering at home, following the incident in October.
The Derby Telegraph is saluting his actions – as part of our Save a Life campaign.
We have joined St John Ambulance to offer discounts on first-aid training, which means you can learn to save lives for just £10.
Simon said: "At work, we get a lot of first-aid training and I think it's really important – possibly one of the most important things you can ever learn.
"You just don't know when you might need it to help save someone's life, whether you are at home, work or just walking down the street."
Simon, of Heanor, was working on the gym's leisure desk when he was informed a woman had collapsed in the changing room.
When he investigated, he found her on the floor.
Simon said: "I was trying to find out what had happened from her friends.
"They were panicky because they didn't know what was wrong but, once I'd assessed her, I could see it was obvious she'd had a stroke. I made sure the ambulance was called straight away."
Simon said it took about 20 minutes for paramedics to arrive. They spent another 30 minutes working on her in the ambulance before taking her to hospital.
He said: "She was slipping in and out of consciousness so I was trying to keep her alert, with the help of her friends.
"I kept asking her yes or no questions, getting her to squeeze my hand in, and monitored her breathing in case I needed to resuscitate her.
"All the time, I was just getting on with it – I don't think you stop to think because, when you know what to do, it's just instinct.
"It was only afterwards that I was thinking: 'Wow – what you just did was really important!'"
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