A quick-thinking woman performed CPR on a cyclist, saving her life after a cardiac arrest, showcasing the importance of emergency training.
East Knoyle: Beverley Cox, 70, was driving with her husband when they saw a cyclist, Sophie Caruth, lying unconscious by the road.
Chris, her husband, quickly called for help while Beverley jumped into action, performing CPR to keep Sophie alive until the ambulance arrived about 20 minutes later.
Sophie was flown to Bristol in an air ambulance and put into an induced coma. Thankfully, she has made a remarkable recovery.
Beverley received a resuscitation certificate from the Royal Humane Society for her brave actions. She shared, “We thought the woman was okay at first, but it was clear she needed help.”
She recalled how overwhelming it felt to receive the certificate around Christmas. “I had no training, but I just stayed calm,” she said, crediting the 999 operator for their support.
Beverley encourages everyone to learn emergency first aid and to use apps like What3Words to help emergency services find you quickly.
Since the incident, she’s participated in official training and Sophie has arranged for a defibrillator to be installed in their village.
“Our village has done a lot of CPR training with St John Ambulance,” she noted, urging others to get involved. “The more people trained, the better the survival rates in the UK.”
Andrew Chapman from the Royal Humane Society praised Beverley, saying she was in the right place at the right time. He emphasized that quick CPR can be the difference between life and death.
