First aider saves stabbed policeman

A quick thinking volunteer from Derbyshire gave life saving treatment to an off-duty police officer who was stabbed as he tried to break up a fight.

A man was stabbed repeatedly in the chest and arm on Thursday 18 September after identifying himself as a police officer in order to stop the fight between a group of people in Church Street in Dronfield.

The first aid volunteer, former Dronfield Divisional Superintendent Sybil Naylor, had been in a shop nearby when she heard screaming and someone shout that the officer had been stabbed.

She immediately rushed to the scene, identifying herself as a first aider to see if she could help the police officers and shop assistants that were with him.

Using lifelong first aid skills and improvising with materials to hand she applied numerous makeshift dressings to stem the heavy bleeding, and as his condition deteriorated treated him for shock.

Taking control of the situation she asked police officers to phone again for urgent paramedic assistance, sent a message to the local doctors’ surgery for them to come to help and calmly reassured her patient and the attending police officers. She maintained pressure on the wounds to stem the bleeding until doctors and paramedics arrived. He was taken to Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital.

Clive Dennis, Commissioner Operations for Derbyshire St John Ambulance, has praised the efforts of Sybil Naylor, saying: ‘Part of first aid training is about using your initiative to improvise if you have no first aid kit to hand. This is a perfect example of first aid in action when it is most needed. This volunteer is to be congratulated for her efforts, which could well have made the difference between life and death for her patient.’