Caravan park manager Mark Williams is celebrating the end of a busy summer period, which included saving the life of a holidaymaker.

56-year-old Karen Forsey, suffered a dangerous allergic reaction while on holiday on The Gower earlier this year, but Mark’s first aid training from St John Cymru Wales made all the difference.

Ms Forsey lives in Tonyrefail but during the summer spends most of her time at her caravan at Llanrhidian Holiday Park.

Karen said, “I had been a bit under the weather and was taking medication but I suddenly began to feel really unwell and was having trouble breathing. I managed to walk to my neighbour’s caravan and they alerted the duty manager.

“By the time Mark arrived I was finding it really hard to catch my breath and I was feeling faint. Mark immediately made me comfortable and started giving me oxygen, which helped me to breathe more comfortably.

“Mark noticed a rash on my legs and he suspected I was having an allergic reaction and going into anaphylactic shock, so he quickly called an ambulance, while monitoring my blood pressure and pulse.

“The air ambulance arrived within minutes and Mark was able to gather up my medication and pass all the details on to the paramedics. When I arrived in hospital I was found to be having a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotics I’d been taking and was quickly treated by doctors. I want to thank Mark for identifying what was wrong, while keeping me calm throughout the ordeal. If Mark has not been there, the outcome could have been very different.”

52-year-old Mark has worked at the holiday park for 20 years and receives regular first aid training from St John Wales. Mark said, “My employer pays for me and a number of other colleagues to get first aid training. There are about 300 caravans on the site so during peak holiday times we’re often called out to deal with anything from strokes to heart attacks, to broken bones.

“The first aid training is great for giving you the skills needed to save a life but what I’ve found particularly useful is learning how to stop casualties from panicking in an emergency situation. I was able to help Karen calmly and carefully, which definitely helped.”

Up to 140,000 people die each year in situations where first aid could have helped save their lives. This is as many as die from cancer.*

Keith Dunn, Chief Executive at St John Wales, said: “I am delighted to hear that Karen was able to get the help she needed thanks to Mark’s first aid training and I wish her a very speedy recovery.

“Karen and Mark’s experience shows that knowing what to do in those vital first minutes of an emergency situation could dramatically increase your chance of survival. Our aim is to have a first aider on every street in Wales and I’d advise anyone to learn the skills needed to potentially save a life.”

For more information on the courses St John Wales offers or to download the free first aid app, visit the website www.stjohnwales.org.uk.