THE people involved in saving the life of a stricken 17-year-old in Grange Park deserve thanks from the whole community.

Dental nurse Jayne Hall, her colleagues and an unnamed member of the public all stepped forward to do whatever they could.

They have also provided the rest of us with some lessons.

The most important of these is that thorough instruction in first aid should be readily available to all.

In the Grange Park incident, a number of people nearby did not do anything to help the young woman. We are certain their inertia was not due to indifference, but rather a fear of getting in the way or making things worse.

Of those who did step in to help before Jayne took charge, some mistakenly placed the victim in the recovery position, unaware that the correct procedure when somebody stops breathing is to put them on their back.

The members of the public who made this error should in no way chastise themselves; ‘putting the patient in the recovery position’ is a first aid tip that has seeped into the collective consciousness.

A programme of education, perhaps including basic hour-long sessions at schools coupled with online videos for the rest of us, would surely save many lives.

Another issue raised by this story is the importance of having ready access to defibrillators and the knowledge to use them.

In an ideal, vandal-proof world, there would be one on every street corner in an easily-opened case.