Left: Stephen Waterman. Right: RLSSWA President Colin Hassell, Hassan Shahzad and WA Governor Kim Beazley AC
Worker saved in loading dock shock
In July this year, Hassan Shahzad and Stephen Waterman were working as part of the security and concierge team at Brookfield Place when they were alerted that a man had collapsed outside. The man was working as a removalist at the neighbouring building on St Georges Terrace and had suffered a cardiac arrest. Hassan was one of the first to respond, and, discovering that the man was unconscious and not breathing, retrieved an AED and returned to the man.
Stephen Waterman was sitting at the Concierge desk and, responding to the emergency call, also arrived on the scene. “I got a phone call from the Security Manager asking for my assistance, someone has had a seizure,” said Stephen. He ran from the desk down to the building’s loading dock, and from there sprinted 100 metres to the adjacent building’s loading dock where he saw Hassan placing an AED on the unconscious man.
“Once I got there and saw Hassan with the AED I thought ‘this is not a seizure, this is more serious’. After the shock was delivered it was just instinct and I jumped straight in and started CPR. It was unusual feeling I was just there doing what I had been taught. It felt like all my training was kicking in,” remembers Stephen. He continued performing CPR until paramedics arrived. They managed to stabilise the man at the scene, and he was transferred to hospital where he went on to recover.
Hassan and Stephen were both awarded Royal Life Saving Gold Medallion Bravery Awards for their actions to help the man in the emergency. Both men responded with great speed and professionalism, their actions going beyond the usual call of duty of their work and resulting in this positive outcome.
Hassan received his award at the Bravery Awards presentation ceremony last month. Stephen was unfortunately unable to attend, as he is now working in the remote Kimberley town of Warmun as the new community swimming pool manager! He will be formally presented with his award in front of his peers at an aquatic industry event early next year.
“Do a first aid course – it is so important!” Stephen advises others. “You never know when you may be required to perform first aid. My most recent training had been with Royal Life Saving completing the Bronze Medallion and Pool Lifeguard awards, and the trainers I have had have been outstanding. I owe a lot to them because the skills they taught helped me save a life.”
Enrol in a First Aid course today to ensure you know what to do in a similar situation:
