By Paul Dunlop
TAMMY Murrell never dreamt she would be a lifesaver.
But the Kooweerup woman’s quick thinking when a family friend collapsed almost certainly spared him from death.
Ms Murrell, her mother and grandmother, and neighbour Kevin Hobson had just returned from a birthday party in March when Mr Hobson suddenly fell to the ground.
Ms Murrell said the shock had frightened her but also jolted her into action.
“I’d just gone inside when I heard mum and nana screaming. I raced out and saw Kevin lying on the ground and thought ‘oh my God’.”
Ms Murrell had done a first aid course about 10 years ago with the Red Cross but never expected to have her skills put to the test in such a dramatic way.
“I had a little bit of knowledge so I started performing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation),” she said.
“I was a bit iffy about it, I didn’t know whether I could do it or not but we rang 000 and they were fabulous. The woman on the end of the phone kept me calm and told me what to do.
“Never in a million years did I think that the skills I learnt would one day come in so handy.”
Incredibly, Ms Murrell’s lifesaving efforts came just one day after Harry Maas and David Harrison performed similar heroics when Star News Group coowner Ian Thomas collapsed after the Pakenham Show.
Paramedics said the odds of two people being saved in such fashion were huge.
“I’ve been in the job 21 years and to have two in a row like that is unbelievable,” Pakenham Ambulance team manager Simon Thompson said.
“It just shows the value of learning basic CPR. It’s not hard to learn, it’s a very simple skill but look at the reward.”
Mr Hobson, 71, worked with Ms Murrell’s late father Thomas and remains close to the family, joining them for dinner every Friday evening.
Thanks to Ms Murrell and the paramedics who answered the emergency call, those dinners have been able to continue.
Ms Murrell said her experience had prompted her to decide to upgrade her first aid skills.
She encouraged local residents to do the same.
“I cannot stress to people enough how important it is. Even a basic course can save someone’s life.
“I was just lucky I was in the right place at the right time but I felt so grateful, looking back on it later, that I had that little bit of knowledge.”
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