Page 27 - Cadet Review Autumn 2021

STRENSALL CADET SAVES UNCONSCIOUS TEENAGER
By SSI Fiona McCallion
When B Company's Cadet Holly Hogarth went to a friend's house on the evening of 17th July, she had no idea what the evening had in store for her - and that, before it ended, she would have saved another teenager's life.
At about 9pm, her friend received a call. It was from a group of friends who had been drinking in a nearby field. One of them had drunk too much and had fallen unconscious. When Holly heard this, she realised that the girl was potentially in danger, so she gathered a blanket and some warm clothing and, with her friend, rushed to the scene on foot.
On arrival, she found the teenager on the grass and, having carried out a Primary Survey, realised that the girl was unconscious and had vomited. Holly made sure the girl's airways were clear and that she was breathing, before putting her in the recovery position and covering her with the blanket.
Cadet Hogarth then found out that the group had also contacted the casualty's sister, who was still connected via Facetime - the sister, a young adult, did not want to involve the authorities (as she was the one who had supplied the alcohol) but Holly insisted that she phoned for an ambulance and inform their parents of the situation.
Some time later, the casualty's mother arrived - in the interim, Holly had kept a constant check on the girl's condition to make sure it didn't worsen. As it was now approximately 10pm, the mother said that she would wait for the ambulance and that Holly and her friend could go home.
The next day, the very relieved mother travelled almost twenty miles to visit Holly to
thank her. She reported
that the paramedics
had been full of praise for Holly's actions, and said that putting her daughter in the recovery position had prevented her from choking on her own vomit.
Strensall Detachment Commander, Lt Mike Richardson, praised
the actions of his young cadet.
"Holly was quick to react, was proactive
in her determina-
tion to provide help, and provided a great standard of First Aid
at the scene. We are
all very proud of her, and she will now be nominated for a Praise- worthy First Aid award."
C COMPANY STAFF CADET COMES TO THE RESCUE!
By SSI Fiona McCallion
Here at Yorkshire (North & West) ACF, all of our members are trained in First Aid and how to deal with emergencies. Recently, that training suddenly came into sharp focus for 18 year-old Staff Cadet Sergeant Diane McCafferty.
Staff Cdt Sgt McCafferty, who
is based at C Company's Yeadon Detachment and has been a cadet since the age of 12, was in Bradford, on her way home from an ice hockey session in the city. Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her, so she turned
round and saw that a man was on the ground. It looked like he had fallen over, so she immediately rushed to help him. She recounted, "I stayed calm and jumped into action, trying to remembering everything I had been taught."
Then the man started fitting.
Staff Cdt Sgt McCafferty instantly realised that she was going to need additional help so she rang 999, while grabbing her coat to place it under the man's head. Other members of the public had started to gather, and some of them were going to try to lift the man to get him to sit up, so 18 year-old Diane had to take control of the situation and told them not to. She was now being given advice on the phone while the ambulance was on its way - in addition, she was using her phone to time how long each fitting episode lasted.
A short time later, the man became unresponsive and very still.
Staff Cdt Sgt McCafferty then had to check he was breathing and still had a pulse. After instructing a member of the public she had asked to assist her, they then carefully rolled the man onto his side, while supporting his head and neck, and making sure his airways were kept open.
This action then exposed a previously-hidden cut on the back of the man's head.
Staff Cdt Sgt McCafferty said, "I took off my jumper and used it to put pressure on the wound that appeared to have been sustained when he had fallen. Throughout, I spoke to the man constantly in order to reassure him until the ambulance crew arrived."
The ambulance crew were able to take over, and the man was quickly taken to hospital.
A family member of the cool-headed Staff Cdt Sgt McCafferty also contacted us to tell us about the incident. "Diane was very very brave and showed real skills when dealing with the elderly man - what a credit to her Company and your County."
We, of course, absolutely agree. The ever-modest Staff Cdt Sgt McCafferty was also full of praise - not for her own actions, however, but for the Adult Volunteers who give up their free time to ensure that their cadets receive this vital training.
"If it wasn’t for my Detachment and Company staff," she said, "I would not have been able to do what I did today, so thank you."
CADET REVIEW AUTUMN 2021 27