Middleton man praises importance of first aid courses and people coming together in an emergency after putting skills into practice

A Middleton man has praised the importance of first aid courses and people coming together in an emergency after his quick thinking saved a man from dying.

John Barlow, 59, was travelling on the M62 to Leeds when he spotted a driver who had fallen seriously ill whilst at the wheel.

John said he first noticed the car travelling slower and slower in the outside lane last month, before noticing the driver was slumped at the wheel.

“I thought at first maybe he had broken down, but the car was decelerating. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t indicating and trying to move out of the lane. There were plenty of cars undertaking,” John, who teaches at the Middleton Martial Arts Academy, said.

After deciding to ‘chaperone’ the slowing Audi to the inside lane, John pulled up alongside where he noticed the medical emergency.

“He looked dead at the wheel. I could see his lips were blue,” he said. He pulled into the lane ahead of the Audi, which was travelling at about 30 miles per hour, before taking his foot off the accelerator and bringing both cars to a stop.

Former doorman John says he only knew what to do next, thanks to a refresher first aid course at the Back Spring Gardens gym, which covered important information in an emergency, such as keeping someone’s airways clear, keeping their attention and checking for a pulse.

After breaking into the car with the aid of another man, John opened the ill driver’s airway by tilting his head back, which forced him to gasp and breathe in.

Other drivers also stopped at the scene, bringing the four-lane carriageway to a halt.

John’s quick thinking in bringing the man’s car to a stop allowed a full community response – including from a sports rehabilitation physiotherapist, an off-duty police officer and a doctor on the opposite side of the carriageway who turned around at the next exit, before running through the stationary traffic with a defibrillator.

 

 

John said: “Fortunately we'd had a refresher first aid course at the gym recently and frantically trying to remember, I tilted his head slowly backwards opening his airways. He took a deep gasp and seemed to start breathing again.

“Even though he was still out for the count, I kept talking to him as the course says and he seemed to get some colour back.

“To my relief, a few minutes later a lovely lady with far better medical training and an off-duty WPC took over, they were absolutely brilliant. A doctor then shouted over from the hard shoulder of the opposite carriageway asking if he could help; he definitely could. So he drove to the next junction and battled through what was now heavily congested motorway traffic that wasn't moving with a defib.

“They were amazing. It was a real team effort. The doctor was asking what medical training people had and told them what to do.

“They worked really well on the gentleman and he started regaining some consciousness until the ambulance arrived.

“I just stayed by his leg, telling him he would be okay and reassuring him.”

The next day, John received a call from West Yorkshire Police, thanking him and he was told the driver had suffered a seizure, but was well enough to go home to his family.

John added: “I’d like to meet him for my own peace of mind. Hopefully he’s okay. I only did what plenty of folks with half a conscience would have done, plus it was a team effort.”

 

 

Located in a listed building, the Middleton Martial Arts Academy was opened in 2017 by Grzegorz ‘Greg’ Kubiak, who wanted to run his own gym. John volunteers at the academy where he teaches children a range of martial arts, and a former councillor has previously praised the centre for helping her feel safe.
 

Read more: How this ‘gem’ of a martial arts centre with a family feel has helped one ‘fearful’ woman councillor feel safe againPublished: 15 November 2021

“We want it to be a real community hub; there’s loads of daytime space. We run a range of classes for men and women, from Thai boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, to yoga and strength conditioning, but we’d like to expand to other classes. It also gives the kids an outlet,” John explained.

The team is all DBS-checked and first aid trained, with the recent refresher course having proved invaluable.

The Middleton Martial Arts Academy is heavily involved in the community with events like MiddFest and also has a foodbank collection point for The Lighthouse Project. Donations can be made each evening from 6pm.