Eight-year-old saves man's life

Nov 28 2012 by Sandy Kilpatrick, Dumfries & Galloway Standard

A brave primary school pupil was hailed a hero after saving a man’s life.

Eight-year-old Sean McCallie was playing in the park near Osborne Drive, Lochside, on Saturday afternoon when he spotted a man outside a nearby house.

As Sean watched, the man stepped forward and collapsed, smashing a fence as he fell.

The quick-thinking Loreburn Primary pupil knew he needed to gelp help.

Recalling what he had been taught during police visits to the school, Sean, who lives at Akers Avenue, Locharbriggs, ran to the man’s side, assessed he was having difficulty breathing and rushed off to call his father and uncle. All three ran back to the scene, asking a passer-by to call for an ambulance when they got there.

Paramedics later praised the youngster saying the man, who was suffering from pneumonia, could have died if the alarm had not been raised so quickly.

Sean told the Standard: “I was running up and down the big hill. I saw the man walk about three steps. He was in front of a house, then he just collapsed. I was a bit scared. I had this feeling down my spine. I was terrified.

“I ran over and stood beside him for a couple of minutes. He couldn’t speak, he was out of air. He’d broken a fence when he’d fallen.

“I ran back and got my dad and uncle. They followed me to the man and asked a lady to call 999.

“When the ambulance crew got there they told me ‘well done’ for getting help and that the man had collapsed a couple of times before.

“They gave him a few jabs to get him breathing. The paramedic said he had pneumonia and it was so cold he would have died if I hadn’t found him. No one saw him fall except me, I was the only one there. I’d like to meet him again to see he’s okay.”

Mum, Fiona added: “I’m really proud of him, I keep telling him how proud I am. In my eyes he’s a wee hero!”

A DGRI spokesman said: “We can confirm a patient was admitted to hospital following a collapse and was subsequently discharged.”

Sam McNeish, of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “Sean obviously did the right thing. For a youngster that age to do all this it’s fantastic.”