Charnwood trained First Aider saves a life

Hero saves diner's life
A GRATEFUL mum has thanked a plucky Sheffield restaurant worker for saving her husband's life when he choked on a piece of steak.
 
Alan Cooper, aged 66, of Hurlfield Road, Gleadless, was enjoying Sunday lunch with his family at the Chequers Inn, at Coal Aston, Dronfield, when the meat became lodged in his throat, blocking his airway.

His wife Carole, 64, said Alan collapsed to the floor and had stopped breathing when Sean Swindell, the Chequers' kitchen team leader, came to the rescue and performed the Heimlich manoeuvre.

Carole told The Star Alan choked on the steak while talking to his eldest granddaughter, Stephanie, eight.

She said: "It shot back into his mouth, he hadn't even swallowed it. He was trying to do too many things at once.

"He stumbled down the steps at the front of the restaurant and collapsed on the floor. I was very frightened and scared."

Sean, 21, from Unstone, Chesterfield, said he found Alan, a former steelworker, collapsed near the front door.

"Someone came in the kitchen and said there was a guy outside choking. He'd collapsed to the floor unconscious, he'd turned blue. He was trying to get away from the restaurant.

"There was no air going through his airways at all, so I just ran out, picked this 17 stone bloke up and managed to get the steak out.

"I picked him up and put my hands under his ribs. It took two really big thrusts to get it out. He regained consciousness after that.

"I asked him if he felt sick or anything. He seemed alright so I sat him up.

"It was a fair old chunk of steak. I don't know how he managed to swallow it, it was massive. At first I thought he was going to die. It was a very scary ordeal."

Carole said their daughter, Claire, 37, tried to dislodge the steak herself, but found it too difficult. Members of the family and customers were calling 999.

Alan's fellow diners included son Edward, 35, his wife Nikki, 24, and three younger grandchildren Jacob, four, Amelia, three, and Abigail, two.

Carole added: "The 999 calls must have been bouncing off the walls at the call centre. If Sean hadn't done what he did he would have died, I've absolutely no doubt about that."

Sean said: "If we had waited for the ambulance the guy would have died. He'd gone about four to five minutes without oxygen."

Carole said Alan worked at Firth Brown's steelworks in Sheffield from 1963, but retired due to ill health after suffering a heart attack in 1995, and takes tablets for angina.

"He's lucky to be alive, he stopped breathing twice in hospital," she added.

Sean said he was able to help Alan after taking an NVQ in first aid at Charnwood Academy, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, last year.

"I think if I hadn't done a first aid course I wouldn't have known what to do. It's definitely worth having, in any pub really."

"It's very important to know about first aid, "I can't find the words to say thank you to Sean."" Carole said.
 
To find out more on this story visit http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Hero-saves-diner39s-life.6066857.jp or to enquire about Charnwood's Medic First Aid Course please contact the office on 0845 437 4000.

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Charnwood compared nationally are ahead of the game

Managing Partners of a leading Hospitality Training Provider, Charnwood training group, along with its Staff, Learners and National Employers were delighted with the excellent praise received from their recent Ofsted inspection, which graded the National training provider as 'good across the board' and 'when compared on a National scale is ahead of the game'

Charnwood training group provides commercial and government funded work based learning and workforce development training within the catering and hospitality industries.

Of particular merit was the way learners enjoy their training, and statistics prove that most go on to further training or gain promotion at work. In this section 'outcomes for learners', Charnwood was recognised for  'the support and care given to learners is a rare quality to be seen in a work based learning provider and Inspectors commented that 'training officers maintained strong relationships with Learners and showed a genuine passion for training.

Teaching and Learning Provision for 14 -- 16 years old within the Academy are of a 'high quality and extremely well maintained, learning is effective in meeting the needs and interests of all learners.'

Although the Training Provider were expecting an inspection as their last was completed in 2007, they didn't realise they would be inspected under a framework released just 4 weeks prior.

Managing Director, Gerwyn House, nominee for the Inspection stated "In light of this context in which Training Providers are now inspected we are extremely pleased to have achieved such a positive report. These judgements represent the best Ofsted report in Charnwood's history."

The employers whom Charnwood work with gave extremely gratifying feedback and were keen on 'Charnwood's excellent understanding of the hospitality, the support to reduce staff turnover rates and the improved development of learners' customer service skills.'

"We are determined to continue to build on our successes and strengths and are resolute in our determination to make Charnwood the provider and employer of choice." Gerwyn House, Managing Director. 


Click here for Charnwood's full report