Quick-thinking Yeovil postman delivers vital first aid to injured man
A postman quickly sprang into action when he discovered a man bleeding heavily from his head while on his routine delivery round in Kingsdon.
Michael Francis, 35, of Eastland Road, Yeovil, was delivering post in the village when he discovered Tim Owen minutes after he had fallen from a ladder while strimming a hedge.
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COMMUNITY SPIRIT: Postman Michael Francis, of Yeovil, who came to the rescue of a Kingsdon resident during his routine delivery round
Mr Owen was bleeding heavily and slipping in and out of consciousness.
A first aider for 21 years, Mr Francis helped stop the bleeding and bandaged Mr Owen until the paramedics arrived.
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He said: “Mr Owens had a big cut to his head, suffered concussion and was in shock, so I grabbed my first aid kit from the van. His wife came out and said there was an ambulance coming.
“I wanted to deal with the bleeding so I put a dressing on his head and secured it with a head bandage and a bandana. It’s an old first aid skill that they don’t teach you anymore.
“It’s something I would do again if I came across it in the community. I always carry my first aid kit with me just in case.”
Now Mr Francis, who is based at Somerton Delivery Office, is trying to make sure all postmen who are trained in first aid are given their own kits. Shortly after the incident, he wrote to the chairman of Royal Mail with the request and was told the issue was being looked into.
He added: “I also put it to them that every office should have its own defibrillator machine. They are looking into it but it’s going to be a big investment.”
Mr Owen, 66, who spent a night in hospital after the incident, said he was very grateful for the postman’s quick thinking.
He said: “He’s a very-much liked postman in the village for obvious reasons. He cares about the people in the village and that’s much appreciated. It’s something that isn’t so obvious in this day and age.”
Mr Francis could also be rewarded by the company he works for after he was nominated for a Royal Mail Chairman’s Award.
Royal Mail manager Kevin Hext said: “Michael takes his role as the office first aider seriously and carries a first aid kit with him everywhere and on this occasion it proved to be very useful and earned him praise from the paramedics that attended the scene.”
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