A woman who survived a collapse on Christmas Eve in a busy supermarket thanks to the remarkable efforts of staff and passers-by has held an emotional reunion with her rescuers.
Catherine Maguire, 48, was shopping with her three daughters and her husband for a last-minute present in Sainsbury’s at the Arnison Centre, Durham, when she dropped to the floor in the entrance.
She had a blood clot to the heart, stopped breathing and had no pulse when store staff leapt into action, followed by Police and Community Support Officer Debbie Sadler-Knox, and they tried to revive her with CPR.
They were joined by off-duty paramedic Stephen Tate, a passing anaesthetist and an on-duty paramedic Sarah Ulph, who happened to be refueling at the supermarket.
Tate used a defibrillator to twice shock Maguire’s heart and revived her. She was flown by air ambulance to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.
Less than a fortnight on, she was well enough to go back to the Sainsbury’s near her home in Framwellgate Moor, to thank everyone.
The Northumbrian Water administrator said: “I feel extremely lucky to be alive because I don’t think I would have survived if it hadn’t been here, with all the people here to help me.”
Employees put blankets up to give Maguire privacy and looked after the girls while the first aiders worked to save her life.
Tate, who was shopping for last-minute Christmas items, said: “She was dead to all intents and purposes. She was not breathing and had no cardiac output.”
Sadler-Knox has since visited the family and was amazed at Maguire’s recovery.
“It was lovely to see them and to hear that they had their Christmas on New Year’s Eve.
“One of the girls said the best gift that they had was having their mum there.”
