Two Glenrothes police officers are being hailed as heroes after saving the life of a man found unresponsive and without a pulse.
PCs Jordan Reynolds, 36, and David Irvine, 39, were on a routine patrol in the town centre at around 10am on Tuesday April 8 when the emergency unfolded.
The pair were called to assist shopworkers and Kingdom Shopping Centre staff after a man was found collapsed in a warehouse.
The stricken 22-year-old man had suffered a cardiac arrest and was both unconscious and found with no pulse.
Man found unresponsive with no pulse in Glenrothes
As well as using a defibrillator machine, the two officers took turns to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – a life-saving emergency procedure used when someone’s heart has stopped beating or they are not breathing.
Working in relay, the officers battled desperately to revive the man while they waited for paramedics.
The pair worked on the unconscious man for more than 10 minutes while also using the defibrillator on two occasions.
PC Irvine told The Courier it was obvious on arrival that the man was in danger of losing his life if they didn’t act immediately.
“We instantly knew that he was in a bad way as there was no pulse or breathing,” said PC Irvine.
CPR and defibrillator used to save man
“The training that all police officers are given to act on in such an emergency automatically kicked in and we started to administer CPR.
“We were desperately trying to keep everyone around him as calm as possible while at the same time continuing with the chest compressions.
“Because of the adrenaline, you don’t realise until afterwards how energy-sapping administering CPR can be.
“I’ve had to give CPR on several occasions during my police career, but for Jordan, it was her first such emergency.
“The paramedics eventually arrived and took over.
“It was only afterwards that we were told that our response had almost certainly saved the man’s life.
PC Reynolds said it had been the quick actions of everyone involved, including shop employees, Kingdom Centre staff, and the Scottish Ambulance Service, that had combined to save the man’s life.
“There was little or no time to actually think about the seriousness of the situation as the training automatically kicked in,” she said.
“It’s the first time I’ve had to carry out CPR in a real-life emergency situation.
“To be told afterwards that your actions saved the man’s life is a good feeling.”
The pair have been hailed as heroes by police chiefs.
Glenrothes police officers hailed ‘heroes’
Fife Commander, Chief Superintendent Derek McEwan, said: “Jordan and David should be rightly proud of what they did for the man.
“It’s the sort of officer response that the public seldom gets to hear about.
“They deserve all the credit for handling so calmly what undoubtedly was a highly stressful and desperate situation.”
Glenrothes Sergeant Martyn Reidie echoed CS McEwan’s praise, adding that the pair had continued with their shift as if nothing untoward had happened.
“It’s a testament to Jordan and David’s professionalism and dedication to their job.
“After experiencing such drama, the pair simply returned to the station to have their lunch, then went straight back out on patrol.
“They certainly are heroes and deserve all the praise they get.”
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