Lyon: a man jumps from his wheelchair to resuscitate a young person in cardiac arrest

Lyon a man jumps from his wheelchair to resuscitate a

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    Friday evening in Lyon, Olivier Plattard, a man in a wheelchair, had to resuscitate a 24-year-old man in cardiac arrest. Under the indifferent gaze of passers-by. Asked about his heroic gesture by BFM Lyon, he insisted on recalling the importance of first aid training for everyone, including people with disabilities.

    Olivier Plattard suffers from a severe handicap which has forced him to move around in a wheelchair since 2016. This did not prevent him from throwing himself to the ground to save the life of a 24-year-old young man in cardiac arrest. After seeing the victim lying on the ground, the forties decides to approach. He pinches her hand but the man does not react. Olivier notices that his heart is no longer beating. It was then that he dipped from his chair to perform cardiac massage.

    “No one asked me if I needed help”

    In a testimony given to BFM Lyon, Olivier Plattard denounces the inaction of the people present on the scene. “Lots of people passed by, no one reported, no one asked me if I needed help”. An attitude he described as “deeply shocking”. A few days after the incident, he still has the after-effects of his gesture. “I can’t raise my arms because I strained for 10 minutes on an extremely intense effort”.

    He also said he would like to “that first aid training be compulsory, free and open to all, including people with disabilities”.

    What to do with a person in cardiac arrest?

    On its website, the Red Cross recalls the different stages of the intervention when faced with a victim of cardiac arrest:

    • Check that the person is not reacting and is not breathing normally;
    • Ask someone to call emergency services (the 15th or 18th) and immediately bring an automated external defibrillator (if available);
    • Begin cardiac massage by alternating 30 chest compressions and 2 breaths;
    • Continue resuscitation until emergency help arrives or victim resumes normal breathing.


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