This Morning:
Between 8-9-30am I am waiting for my mail, before I have to leave for work. No mail arrives.
I leave for work. Two hundred yards down the road my mail and my postman are lying on the side walk ahead of me. He is lying in the recovery position, dark red blood comming from his mouth, with his distraught colleague beside him. Passers by are calling an ambulance.
I'm at a loss - what can I do? My first aid training amounts to a day in an office almost a year ago - in effect I'm helpless. He could be suffering a heart attack, a stroke, an epelectic fit, and I wouldn't know were to look let alone start. All I can do is put an emergency blanket over him (an EDC carry) and hope that helps. ( a cold morning - around freezing) .
I leave feeling low and useless.
Where do Paramedics start? What can a layman do? Probably more harm then good.....its not good
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I'm sorry that you had to see that, and feel like you were powerless to help.

You did what you could with the experience and supplies that you had. At least you didn't get in the way or just hang about and stare.

If you want to do something, then refresh yourself on your First Aid and CPR. Relearning the basics and the details will make you feel more confident.

And forgive yourself. Like I said, you did what you could with what you had.

I think the suggestion of a basic first aid and cpr course is a good one. Even better would be a Wilderness First Aid or First Responder course. You always have to be careful about trying to do things that you're not really trained/prepared for.

For the most part, you're trying to keep the person alive long enough for the EMS system to kick in and get them to medical care. That means having someone call 911, or the equivalent where you are, and having them stay on the line! Assign someone to keeping the scene safe, so more problems don't arise. For the specific victim, you start with checking the patient for awareness, alertness. (The "ARE YOU OK" yell and shake). They can sometimes tell you what's going on, but, if they're unresponsive, then you start with the ABC's. Airway, Breathing, Circulation. We can't do a CPR course, here, but it would be time well spent for anyone not current.

Sorry that you had to find yourself in such a situation. That had to be a tough experience.

Sorry to hear about that, hopefully he wasn't one of the posties that have been done over by junkies in the recent days. Give your local St Johns Ambulance a call. oops just notice your location.

St Andrews Ambulance