A Melbourne police officer is lucky to be alive after suffering a cardiac arrest at home earlier this year.
Andrew Bartlett, 49, had returned home from jujitsu practice with his son Jassem, only to collapse in his kitchen.
He was found face-down and unresponsive by his wife Essra, daughter Leila, and Jassem.
Essra immediately called Triple Zero (000) and Jassem started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Jassem demonstrating how to perform CPR on a manikin.
Andrews’s story shows that anyone can help save a life, as Ambulance Victoria (AV) kicks off its month-long Shocktober campaign to encourage community members to learn what to do if they witness a cardiac arrest.
“Dad wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse, so I did compressions for around five minutes until paramedics arrived,” Jassem said.
“It was a tough situation, but I knew I had to save my feelings for later and just focus on doing CPR as best as I could.”
AV Paramedic Osman Al-Dabel was one of the first paramedics to arrive and praised Jassem for his quick actions.
“What Jassem did was incredible – he was performing effective CPR in what was a really difficult and stressful situation,” Osman said.
“Minutes make a difference with cardiac arrest, so by Jassem starting CPR so quickly he undoubtedly saved his dad’s life.”
Andrew was taken to hospital and has since returned to work in his role as a Victoria Police Sergeant.
Jassem (left) with dad Andrew (right).
On Tuesday 1 October, Andrew and his family reunited with the paramedics who helped save his life to mark the start of AV’s Shocktober campaign.
Andrew said he was grateful for the chance to say thank you.
“Working in emergency services, I know what it’s like to respond to critical incidents, and I wanted the chance to tell the paramedics what an amazing job they did,” Andrew said.
Around 21 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest every day and only one in 10 survive, which is why it’s crucial that people jump in and take action, like Jassem and Essra did.
Bystander intervention has the greatest impact on improving someone’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest – for every minute that CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.
Around 80 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home, which is why knowing CPR can make the difference in saving the life of a loved one.
If someone is unconscious or not breathing normally, remember:
- Call: call Triple Zero (000) immediately. The call taker will talk you through CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
- Push: push hard, fast and continuously on the chest.
- Shock: if available, turn on the AED and follow the instructions.
Consider signing up as a GoodSAM responder – it’s a smartphone app that connects patients in cardiac arrest with nearby members in the community who are willing to start CPR before paramedics arrive.
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