Eastbourne teen helps save man having a heart attack

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A 19-year-old barista from Eastbourne helped save a man who was having a heart attack at her place of work.

Saskia Müller, of Seaside Road, was on her second shift at The Coffee Lounge within The Pier Hotel in Grand Parade when she helped the customer.

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Saskia is a volunteer with St John Ambulance so her training kicked in when she saw the man struggling.

She said, “A customer came in drenched in sweat and having piercing pains down his arm and back, he was having a heart attack and needed urgent medical attention.

Saskia Müller SUS-210311-131737001Saskia Müller SUS-210311-131737001
Saskia Müller SUS-210311-131737001

“I explained that I was a volunteer with St John and I helped the man, and his wife watching, as much as I could.

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“The man was slipping in and out of responsiveness so after making him comfortable, I rang for an ambulance again. I made sure there was plenty of space around him and I helped him as best I could.”

Saskia did CPR and successfully used a defibrillator to shock his heart back into a regular rhythm. She said she stayed with him until the emergency services arrived where he was taken to hospital in an ambulance.

She said, “I have been trained on how to deal with a situation like that, I think I would’ve panicked otherwise. It is the second time I have done first aid outside - it is like something switches on in your brain and it becomes second nature.

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“All of us who are trained are appreciative of the time and effort our staff give us. Without them we would not be able to help people in the way we do. I think first aid is so important and I would recommend it to anyone.”

George Cheivak, Saskia’s manager, said, “Saskia remained calm, focused and professional the whole time. Her only concern was for the welfare of the man involved.

“It gives you a funny feeling, to see something like this happen at your place of work but I overheard what she was saying to the man and his wife watching, and I then knew that Saskia had been trained for it and I am very proud to have her on our team.

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“We’re so proud of Saskia and we can’t praise her enough for being there and acting quickly when the man needed her the most. We need more young people like Saskia to learn first aid so they can also step in and help save more lives.”

Saskia is new to Eastbourne, having recently moved down from London. She now hopes to train as a youth leader for the St John Ambulance.

She said, “It is something I am passionate about. It is very rewarding.”

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