Asda cleaner helps save man having heart attack in car park

Kim Bristow, who works at Asda in Battle Road, St Leonards, was tidying the car park when she saw a woman running towards her shouting for help because a man had collapsed on June 14 this year. 

When she got to the man, in his 50s, he was blue and not breathing. His distraught wife was on the phone to the ambulance service.

Kim, who has first aid knowledge after spending 13 years working in the care sector before joining Asda two years ago, shouted for a colleague to get a defibrillator while she and his wife lifted him out of the car and on to the ground.

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The 34-year-old said: "The man was unconscious in the car and still strapped into his seatbelt.

"His wife and I picked him up and got him out of the car ourselves and laid him on the ground.

"The lady put the phone down on the 999 call and started to do CPR and then I asked her if she wanted me to take over as I could tell that she was in a bit of shock. I did so until the ambulance arrived. It only took four minutes but it felt a lot longer.

"While I was doing the chest compressions I was talking to the man in the hope that he would just wake up."

The paramedics arrived and continued with CPR to eventually get the man breathing and stable before being taking him to the nearby Conquest Hospital.

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He is now on the road to recovery.

Kim said: "I'm very proud of what I did. The ambulance crew said to my manager that if I hadn't have done what I did the gentleman would not be here today.

"The incident is all a blur to be honest, it was very quick and instinct and adrenaline just kicked in. I just got on with it.

"It's the first time that I'd ever had to do CPR. I've dealt with cuts and grazes with residents falling over things like that but I'd not done chest compressions.

"Everyone was saying to me to go home afterwards, but I continued for the rest of my shift and went back to cleaning up the car park."

Kim Bristow said she is proud of what she did (Image: Asda)

Kim, who lives with partner Gavin Edwards, her 15-year-old son Kye and her nine-year-old daughter Maisy, has been nominated for an Asda service superstar award for her actions.

Adam Caney, the store's customer trading manager, said everybody was proud of her.

He said: "Kim was fantastic on the day, not thinking twice about stepping in and acting quickly.

"The ambulance crew and the gentleman's wife both told me that without Kim helping the man would have sadly passed away."

Wendy Border who works at the store’s community team said: "Kim was so calm and fearless, helping two people she didn't even know. I am proud to work with and be friends with such a lovely person."