Ellie Fulton

Four-year-old Ellie Fulton’s life was saved when her father applied simple first aid to stop her choking.

Her father, Alister Fulton, explained: 'She was on all fours, coughing. I thought she was being sick at first, but as she crawled towards me I could see that her face had turned red. Her eyes were bulging, foam was coming from her mouth and panic was written across her face. It was obvious to me that she was choking.

'I grabbed her and gave her three or four back blows, the last of which dislodged the obstruction,' continues Alister. 'It turned out to be a coin that was the perfect size to block a windpipe.

'After the panic had settled down and Ellie had gone to bed, I started to think about what might have happened if I hadn't known how to cope. During the emergency I knew exactly what to do and was calm, in spite of knowing that the life at risk was my own daughter's. My St John Ambulance first aid course had given me the right preparation for the most frightening situation I could imagine.

'Thankfully I'll never know what would have happened if I hadn't had that training, Without it, I might not have been able to laugh and play with my daughter this morning.'