Emma Darker immediately took action after running through border control at Luton Airport to help the collapsed man after she returned from a trip to Spain.

A holidaymaker saved a man's life at an airport after he suffered a cardiac arrest.

Emma Darker was passing through border control after a trip to Spain when her partner spotted a man collapse and call for help.

She is first aid trained and worked in the Covid recovery unit at at Hertfordshire County Council.

Emma immediately took action after running through border control at Luton Airport to help the collapsed man.

HertsLive reports she couldn't identify a pulse and knew she had to begin chest compressions as he was having a cardiac arrest.

Emma called out for a defibrillator which a fellow passenger managed to find nearby.

She said: "Once the defibrillator arrived, I placed the pads on the man’s chest and lower side, it began analysing rhythm.

"It then instructed me to give the first shock which started this man’s heart, and he began taking breath although it sounded as something was blocking his airway."

Emma said she wasn't scared because her first aid trainers told her that "the worst thing you can do is nothing".

She said: "At least I was doing something that could help. I was trained for basic life support and first aid which is why I was able to help this man."

The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest outside hospital is only around 10%according to the London Ambulance Service.

However this jumps to 57% when a public defibrillator is used.

Emma said that the chances of survival or not getting severe brain damage hugely increase when you are treated within eight minutes, so it was fortunate she was on-hand to help this man.

After Emma and a border officer treated the man for several minutes, the fire and rescue team and paramedics arrived and took over treatment.

Emma's quick reactions saved the man's life and he appears to have escaped without life-limiting brain injuries. She said: "This man thankfully is in hospital, alive and talking to his family.

They have been very grateful to me, and I am going to meet them once he is feeling better. He's talking to his family, he's starting to walk again, he's suffered no injuries to this brain and he's alive."

Emma wanted to encourage people to take up a first aid course so that people know when it is appropriate to use CPR.

She also added that everyone should know that defibrillators can be used by anybody as they tell you how to use them.

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