CAPE TOWN, South Africa — An off-duty paramedic saved the life of a fellow bus passenger who suffered an apparent heart attack Tuesday.
IOL.co.za reported that the paramedic, an ER24 employee, was traveling on a bus to work when he noticed that one of the passengers was experiencing difficulty breathing.
“The patient apparently clutched his chest and fell to the ground unconscious,” ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said.
The paramedic initiated CPR and within minutes the man’s vital signs returned.
The bus pulled over outside a fire station, where firefighters and an awaiting ambulance crew provided assistance before the man was transported to a hospital for treatment.
“ER24 urges members of the public to learn basic CPR as early intervention can mean the difference between life and death,” Meiring said.