PROOF of the pudding is in the eating, as the old adage goes, and where better an example than in the remarkable story of one man who saved another’s life by performing CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation to use its full name.

You’ve seen it used on films and on TV shows such as Casualty and probably Emergency Ward 10 for those of us who can remember that for back. And while in real life the patient isn’t likely to simply wake up, shake your hand and walk off, the fact is that CPR does work.

Those who have taken part in first aid training will have been told by the trainer that ‘bad CPR is better than no CPR’. Patients in cardiac arrest have only a matter of minutes before death. If CPR is administered straight away and continued until medics arrive, the patient had a good chance of survival.

All too many people fear they would harm the patient if they didn’t know what they were doing. The answer to this is learn what to do. Just as Adam Wilcock did in January when he helped save the life of a perfect stranger who had collapsed on Belmont Bridge.

Brian Bower needed help immediately and got it, with Adam. If you get chance to learn CPR then do it. You could save a life one day.