Stephen Kuhlke administered crucial first aid to the elderly victim during a shopping trip with his family.

She had collapsed on the floor, cut her head open and was struggling to breathe by the tills of Tesco in Earlestown on Thursday afternoon (November 6).

The 22-year-old said: "The adrenalin just kicked in and I reacted like I would if I was on a job. I am one of those people - if I see someone in trouble then I have to react and I have to help them.

"There was blood everywhere because she had cut her head open as she fell. She was drifting in and out of consciousness so I just kept talking to her to keep her going. I kept her airways open and called an ambulance."

Fortunately a crew of firefighters had been in the store at the time. Stephen used the oxygen tanks they use for fire rescues and administered the gas to the woman - believed to be in her 50s.

She had started to make a recovery when paramedics arrived and was taken to hospital.
He said: "It was definitely a team effort between me and the firefighters, they were superb. Everything went pretty smoothly - but it was just by chance that both a St John's Ambulance worker and a team of firefighters were in the same place when she had the seizure."

The dad-of-one, of Neville Street, Newton, had been food shopping with his girlfriend Samantha Lyons and his two-year-old daughter Ellie. He has been volunteering for St John's Ambulance for two and a half years.

Watch manager Neil Graham said: "It was just by chance we happened to be there at the same time as Stephen. He was really calm in the crisis and gave oxygen to the lady as well as talking to her to keep her awake."