A QUICK-THINKING Wee County postie brought an Alloa father back from the brink of death last week.
Ian Manzie suffered a sudden heart attack which would have killed him had it not been for the actions of Jamie McGhee.
The postman was at the end of his deliveries and was walking along Primrose Street at around midday on Tuesday, July 11, when he was stopped by a paramedic.
He was asked for directions to Mailers solicitors, where a man was reported to be stricken with a cardiac arrest.
Jamie, also from Alloa, then headed back along Drysdale Street when a lawyer left Mailers and told him a man was in a serious condition inside.
And with the medic having to go around the one-way system to get to the scene, Jamie stepped in while the professionals arrived.
He told the Advertiser: “The fellow was lying on the floor and he looked terrible.
“I could see he desperately needed help, he was not breathing, I could not find a pulse.”
Remembering his training from his days in the army, he started administering CPR immediately.
When the paramedic arrived, Jamie was asked to keep going while all the equipment was rolled out to save the man’s life.
“I just kept going,” the postie added.
Mr Manzie’s sister, Sandra Kindreich, said: “The family are just extremely grateful and want him to know that.”
With the vitals monitor attached, Jamie could see the spikes appear with every chest compression as he battled to keep the blood flowing through the man’s veins.
It looked like Mr Manzie – a father-of-five – had come back to life a number of times, but it took various and continued attempts to stabilise him.
Eventually, the patient was taken to hospital where, it is understood, he remains in a serious but stable condition.
Jamie said: “I just reacted to a situation that was there and I’d like to think that anybody else would do exactly the same thing.
“It just so happened that I had the basics of first aid there and knew roughly what I should be doing and how to do it.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure how long it took; it seemed like it had been going forever.”
He added: “I’m not a hero. As long as the guy is okay, that’s what really matters.”
The patient’s family expressed their gratitude following the incident with sister Sandra Kindreich saying: “The medics are very clear, he would have died [without CPR]. His heart stopped.
“The family are just extremely grateful and want him to know that.”
Ian, a father of five, remains in hospital and under intensive care, but his condition is said to be stable.
And after putting his skills to good use, Jamie has suggested that CPR should be taught in schools for all.
Indeed, a spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service told the Advertiser the story demonstrates just how important the skills are.
He confirmed: “We received a call at 12.22pm on Tuesday, July 11, to attend an incident on Drysdale Street in Alloa.
“The first unit arrived on scene within three minutes by which time a member of the public was performing CPR on the patient.
“The patient, a man in his 50s, was subsequently taken to Forth Valley Hospital.”
The spokesman added: “This incident demonstrates why bystander CPR is a vital part of the chain of survival, and we commend the first aider for the role he played.
“We are working with our partners from Save A Life for Scotland to train an additional 500,000 people in CPR by 2020 in order to save 1,000 more lives.”