A well-known Inishowen man is encouraging people to take a first aid course after he used his to help save the life of a fellow Irishman while on a weekend break in London.
Liam Skelly from Moville is more used to tramping the GAA fields of Donegal than the streets of the English capital.
But one fellow Irishman is thankful that Liam was on hand in a hotel on Monday morning after he suddenly collapsed at breakfast.
Liam told Donegal Daily “Myself and my wife Kaye had done all the museums and shops and we were ready to head home that morning after a bust few days.
“But as we were having breakfast this man just slumped over the table. We were all a little stunned. To be honest I waited a second as I thought there might be a doctor or nurse nearby.
“But there wasn’t so I knew I had to try and do something.”
Liam managed to get the man onto the floor, into the recovery position and find an airway.
Thankfully, he came around and started to breath again without Liam having to do CPR.
Liam said he was just so thankful that he had forced himself to go and do a first aid course and remembers the moment in 2010 that he convinced himself that he needed to do the potentially life-saving programme.
He remembered “I was sitting in the hall in the local GAA club waiting for the girls to finish training and I looked at the defibrillator thinking ‘I don’t know how to use that.’
“So I signed up for a first aid course and learned to use it and you get basic first aid skills as well.”
Liam didn’t have to use that training thankfully until last Monday but is encouraging everyone to get a first aid course done.
“People may never have to use it but at least if they get a course done they will know what to do. I’m glad I was able to help and I must sign up for a refresher course now,” he added.
He has been in contact with his fellow Irishman whose life he helped to save and thankfully he is making a full recovery.
