Gym instructor promotes importance of learning CPR after saving a life

Scarborough gym instructor and volunteer coastguard David Mort has been commended for his rapid response and life-saving skills after administering CPR in two separate incidents within the same week.

The first incident occurred in a Scarborough supermarket car park, where David noticed a woman slumped over her steering wheel with the car engine still running. Acting swiftly, he assisted in breaking the back window, while someone else called 999 for an ambulance, and then performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Sadly, despite his best efforts, the woman could not be revived.

Just five days later, while on duty at the Barons Fitness Gym, David was called to help when a walking football player collapsed.

Recognising the signs of cardiac arrest - specifically agonal breathing, which can often be mistaken for normal respiration - David immediately began CPR and instructed someone to fetch a defibrillator. After delivering a shock and three more rounds of CPR, the man regained consciousness. When the ambulance crew arrived, the man was awake and alert.

The 32-year-old said: “He came back to the gym a few months later to say thank you; it was quite overwhelming but great to see him looking so well.

“I would encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with recognising the signs of a cardiac arrest because the sooner you can start CPR, the better their chances of survival.”

The signs of a cardiac arrest can include sudden collapse, loss of consciousness, and the absence of normal breathing. In some cases, a person may display agonal breathing, which is a gasping, irregular breath that can be mistaken for normal respiration or appear as if they are having a fit. Other signs may involve no pulse or movement, and the person may not respond when spoken to or shaken. Immediate action, such as calling 999 for an ambulance and starting CPR, is vital when these signs are observed.