Family urge more people to learn life-saving CPR

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:01]After 25 years working offshore, Paul Scott had started a new life, running a fish merchant business in his hometown of Anstra. Just weeks into the job, he came home one evening feeling unwell.

[00:00:13]>> Can you talk me through that night?

[00:00:16]>> After my tea, just said that I didn't feel quite right and didn't didn't get too much sympathy at that point, I don't think. But as things progressed and I kept going on about it um >> still didn't get much like you know have you got pains down your arm? He's like no not really any pains in your jaw through v various symptoms. Didn't have any of them. Um and and I did see at that point well you're not having a heart attack which technically he wasn't.

[00:00:51]Paul wasn't having a heart attack. He was about to go into cardiac arrest.

[00:00:57]A heart attack is a circulation problem where blood flow to the heart is blocked. But a cardiac arrest is an electrical problem causing the heart to suddenly stop pumping blood. The person collapses and becomes unresponsive. The brain and vital organs are starved of oxygen and blood. Without immediate CPR, lack of oxygen will cause irreversible damage within minutes.

[00:01:23]As soon as I realized he wasn't breathing, I knew I had to start CPR straight away. I need someone to come and help me. Who can I who can can help me? Help came in the form of their neighbor, Colin Murehead, who had been celebrating his birthday at home with his family.

[00:01:38]>> And as soon as we reached the patio doors, Kelly was doing CPR.

[00:01:42]>> And you had some CPR training yourself.

[00:01:45]>> I have about 30 plus years ago, but I remembered it. I'm glad I didn't forget.

[00:01:54]>> Emergency medicine consultant Dr. Gareth Kle says survival depends on what happens in the first few minutes after collapse. He helped found save a life for Scotland, a national initiative teaching CPR and defibrillator use across Scotland.

[00:02:09]>> So I think everyone has a role to play in out of hospital cardiac arrest response. And really what we want is for the whole population of Scotland to be confident to understand what cardiac arrest is and to be ready to act in the same way that you would if there was a fire and you could see a fire extinguisher. Overwhelmingly what we need people to do is step up and have a go because the reality is when someone's heart is stopped you can't make things worse.

[00:02:34]Any CPR will be better than no CPR. And when you call for help the call handle at the Scottish Ambulance Service will talk you through what to do. And actually, even if you've never seen CPR before, you'll be able to do something which will help the situation rather than hinder it.