Holmfirth firefighters are true lifesavers
May 26 2009 by Katie Grant, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Holmfirth firefighters go above and beyond the call of duty to save man’s life
Just metres away the Holmfirth firefighters were carrying out routine tests on equipment.
When they arrived they found purple-faced Mr Stokes was showing no signs of life.
They took off his tie and began resuscitating him.
After five ‘shocks’ from a defibrillator, he began breathing and the crew members were able to find a pulse.
Station manager Dave Smith said: “I believe that the personnel involved without question saved Mr Stokes’ life.
“They went above and beyond with their quick-thinking, speed of actions and persistence to save life which is of absolute paramount in these situations when the clock is ticking.
“So often within the fire service we are called to incidents where even our best efforts are unfortunately not good enough.
“It is both rewarding and refreshing to have such a happy end to an event and I am delighted that the personnel involved have been recognised for their efforts.”
Watch manager Mick Lee said: “They showed complete professionalism and responded quickly. I cannot speak highly enough of their actions – they were first class.”
Mr Stokes has now fully recovered from the incident and is back at home with wife Elaine.
Elaine and daughter Emma, 28, are grateful to everyone involved in saving Mr Stoke’s life.
She said: “I am so grateful to them, they acted so quickly, it’s absolutely unbelievable.”
Mr and Mrs Stokes would also like to thank Cathryn James from Honley ambulance station and the staff at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
