Asda worker saves man's life after he suffers cardiac arrest whilst shopping in store
An Asda employee at a Black Country store has saved the life of a man after a cardiac arrest stopped his heart.
Amy Gripton from the supermarket giant's Sedgley store rushed to the scene after a 69-year-old collapsed whilst shopping with his wife.
The 27-year-old, who is five months pregnant, has been nominated for an Asda service superstar award after she rushed to the scene and started to do chest compressions as she couldn't find a pulse.
She took it in turns with an off-duty care home nurse to administer CPR while her colleague Donna Mackie was on the phone to the ambulance call handler.
After administering CPR and using a defibrillator, within minutes, the man was miraculously sitting up and talking.
Speaking about the incident that took place on Tuesday, December 27, Amy said: "He was on the floor and I checked for a pulse in his wrist and his neck, but there was nothing there. He'd gone completely. He was clinically dead.
"Myself and an off-duty nurse started to do CPR and every time we did it he seemed to get a little breath, a little gasp, but as soon as we'd stop he would stop.
"As the CPR didn't seem to be working I got the defibrillator out. I've never used one before but it tells you what to do so I put the pads on his chest.
"At first it said to keep on with the CPR and then it said it was going to give him a shock. It shocked him twice but there still wasn't any response, so we carried on with CPR and then he remarkably came round as soon as the ambulance crew appeared and they took over.
"It was such a relief to see him alive and before he left he was sitting up talking to the paramedics. It was amazing. The paramedics and the police, who'd also arrived, couldn't believe how he quick he'd come round.
"The whole thing only lasted about ten minutes but it felt a lot longer than that. I was just getting on with it, just concentrating on what I was doing. I'm so glad he's okay now and doing well."
The man who suffered the cardiac arrest, wished not to be named, but had heart bypass surgery and spent three weeks in hospital.
He says he owes his life to Amy and the off-duty nurse who also helped.
He said: "How can you really thank someone who saved your life? It's amazing what they did.
"I can't remember anything of that day, just what I've been told. One minute I was in the store and the next thing I remember was being in hospital."
The customer's wife, who witnessed everything, said: "I can't thank Amy enough for what she did; he was actually dead for a couple of minutes. If he'd collapsed anywhere else, like at home or in the road, then he would not have survived.
"Thankfully, he's doing fine now but it could have been a completely different story and I would be visiting his grave now."
Store manager Neil Woodhall, who nominated home and leisure section leader Amy for an Asda service superstar award, says everyone at the store is so proud of her.
He said: "Amy was totally amazing. She was just so calm. She went straight into the situation, took control and did not hesitate. I was there on the day and I had a tear in my eye at the end as it was so emotional.
"The paramedics and the police who came were so ecstatic by what Amy had done that they said they were going to put her up for their own awards. They said if it hadn't been for her quick actions the gentleman would not be here to tell his tale."
