Responder helps save river man

A volunteer Emergency Responder in Bristol was the first on the scene to treat a man who had fallen into the River Avon off of Coronation Road.

Mark Allen, a member of the St John Ambulance Rapid Response team, attended to the 999 call on behalf of the Great Western Ambulance Service, and arrived at the scene within minutes to find the casualty still struggling in the river.

Mark said: 'I was amazed to see a man in the water. He was fighting to stay above the water surface. Together with the fire service we were able to ensure he was brought to safety.'

Once the fire crew had rescued the man from the water Mark helped move the man on to a stretcher and wrapped him in a Mediwrap blanket to keep him warm.

The patient was then transported to Bristol Royal Infirmary for further assessment.

Jeremy Hughes, Commissioner Operations and Membership for St John Ambulance in Avon said: 'Our Emergency Responder handled the situation very well. Their fast response, with an early update on the exact location to the control centre were critical factors in ensuring a positive outcome for the casualty.

'We provide regular 999 support to the Ambulance Service on a weekly basis and our team are trained to deal with these types of emergency situations. I am pleased we were able to help.'