Two members of ScotRail staff have been praised for their actions and intervention when another railway worker collapsed at a Fife station.
ScotRail employees Lorna Bathgate and Charlie Algeo have been praised for their life-saving actions when a railway employee collapsed on the footbridge at Inverkeithing station.
Lorna, who works at Inverkeithing Ticket Office, and Charlie, a Train Dispatcher, were approached by members of public who noticed a customer had collapsed at the station.
Lorna quickly realised the person was not breathing and immediately began to give CPR compressions while Charlie retrieved the station’s Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
While on the phone with the emergency services, Lorna began to use the defibrillator with attempts to resuscitate their railway colleague.
The pair then continued to give CPR compressions, with assistance from members of the public, until paramedics arrived.
Thankfully, the person was breathing again when the paramedics arrived - just 20 minutes after first collapsing - and is now recovering well with no signs of permanent damage.
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) or defibrillator is a life saving device that can help save the life of someone experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest. They are easy to use, portable, with clear step-by-step instructions so anyone can use them, from a bystander to a trained professional.
More than 30 life-saving defibrillators been installed at railway stations across Scotland since 2018.
David Lister, ScotRail Safety, Engineering & Sustainability Director, said:
“What started as a normal day heading in to work for one person quickly turned into a horrible nightmare which, thankfully, has had a positive ending.
“In an emergency, a defibrillator can be the difference between life and death, and that’s been proven true. It’s why we’ve made sure we have them at many of our busier stations across the country.
“The railway is often described as a family, and while they may not have known at the time, Lorna and Charlie’s actions helped keep that railway family together - they are a credit to ScotRail and I could not be prouder of them.”