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Vicky’s a life saver
Vicki Parkinson from Lower Ince
AN OFF-duty Wigan nurse has been hailed a hero for saving a rail passenger’s life.
Vicky Parkinson came to the rescue of a 65-year-old man who collapsed from a suspected heart attack as she travelled home from a training day in Manchester.
While other passengers either looked on helplessly or even complained of the disruption, the 31-year-old from Lower Ince, tended to the patient, pulled on the emergency cord to stop the train and told rail staff to call an ambulance.
She offered to give the pensioner heart massage and loosened his clothing while trying to calm him during the 40 minutes it took paramedics to arrive at the station.
Today she modestly talked down her role in the Christmas time drama, insisting she only did what any other health professional would have done in similar circumstances.
Vicky, 31, said: “I was so glad I was there. I think I was meant to have been on that train because I was about to take the one that left three minutes earlier but decided not to.”
However, she had harsh words for some of the other passengers who sat by and watched the cardiac victim collapse and then, astonishingly, moaned loudly at non-uniformed Ms Parkinson about the delay to their journey caused by her decision to stop the train.
The mum of three had been to the city as part of her on-going midwifery course.
Her proud grandmother today described her grand daughter as a heroine.
Emily Parkinson, who lives in Norley, said: “Vicky saved his life according to the male paramedics from the ambulance service who came to the trains.”
Joselyn Rankin, a spokeswoman for Northern Rail, said that the Northern Rail conductor on board the train had called the emergency services at Hag Fold station in Leigh after a passenger had collapsed.
And he was cared for on-board until the paramedics arrived to take him to hospital.
He said: “We would like to pass on our thanks to all those involved for their quick-thinking and assistance on the day.”
District nurse Vicky, who has been a nurse for nine years, had been travelling on the 4.10pm Manchester Victoria to Kirkby line via Wigan Northern Rail service when the emergency arose.
Vicky said that she was “just doing what I hope anybody else would do”.
She said: “He was cold and clammy and I thought he was going to arrest again because his pulse was racing, although he remained conscious throughout and talking to me.
“He lives near Leigh, so I phoned his wife to let her know he was being taken care of.”
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Weather for Wigan
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North west
