Young lifesaver receives Gold Medallion Bravery Award

Alanah Dunstan was in the right place at the right time in September 2022, and saved a man's life on the Thornlie train line after he became unresponsive. For her actions, Alanah received a Gold Medallion Bravery Award at last year’s Royal Life Saving WA Bravery Awards. 

18-year-old Alanah had mistakenly begun to head to work on a public holiday when her commute took an unexpected turn.  

A man had been running to catch the train and once onboard, he began struggling to breathe and collapsed.  

Recognising the seriousness of the situation Alanah took control, directing other passengers to call an ambulance and alert the train driver before commencing CPR and continuing to perform it single-handedly for 15 minutes while the train was diverted back to Perth.  

“When it first happened, I just thought, ‘Oh surely, surely there’s someone else [to help]’. I know my training, but obviously if there was a nurse on board, I would have loved a nurse to do it. I thought ‘I want to give this bloke the best chance he’s got’,” Alanah said.  

“When I realised everyone else was just as scared and terrified of what was happening as me, I stepped up and did it. During it, all I could think of when I was looking at his face was just how fragile life is.” 

The passenger was transferred to hospital where, despite initial assessments, he made a full recovery and Alanah has since met him.  

At just 18, Alanah demonstrated great composure and determination in this stressful and confronting situation. Her quick response ultimately saved a man’s life.  

Alanah, who has her Senior First Aid certificate and regularly practiced CPR in her Swim and Survive lessons growing up, believes her training is what helped her to stay calm during such a stressful situation.  

“I remember I was speaking the DRSABC out loud – I went ‘B – Breathing’ and I checked his throat and checked if anything was blocked and so I kind of spoke my training out loud,” she said. 

Stories like Alanah’s further demonstrate how important it is to have and regularly maintain your CPR qualification.  

Studies have shown that just two months after doing your training, there is a 50% decrease in CPR skills, and after three years only 2% of people can perform CPR effectively. 

It’s recommended that CPR certificates are updated every 12 months, not only to refresh your skills, but also to stay up to date with changes in the training. 

Ready to learn or refresh a lifesaving skill? Click the link below to book your CPR course today.