In February, two members of staff at Bletchley Leisure Centre were approached by a member of the public with a gentleman who had a large deep cut to his forehead after falling outside.

As the man was taking aspirin at the time, the bleeding was heavy, so lifeguards James Cook and Kaijun Caple quickly used their NPLQ training to provide first aid support.

Going in and out of consciousness, the man briefly experienced memory loss so James and Kaijun proactively controlled the bleeding using a trauma dressing and treated his condition accordingly.

Beyond this, staff continued to reassure him as they rang an ambulance awaiting its arrival.

Upon the paramedics’ arrival, James and Kaijun stayed with the injured man and supported the ambulance crew as they continued to attend to his needs, before he was transferred to hospital.

A few days later, the gentleman returned to the leisure centre to thank staff and stated that ‘the first aid I received was exceptional’.

Both James and Kaijun have received their Certificate of Meritorious Actions for Lifeguards due to their quick actions and proactive efforts to combat an incredibly stressful situation.