Maureen's actions an 'inspiration to us all'

Published on Saturday 26 December 2009 10:08

A GOOD Samaritan has been labelled "an inspiration to all" after helping to save the life of a stranger who had suffered a heavy head wound.

City council care worker Maureen Paterson discovered a man slumped against the railings of a bus depot at Longstone during a bitterly cold evening.

When she tried to help him, the grandmother-of-two discovered he had fallen and banged his head against a sharp railing. As soon as she went to help him to his feet, she realised he was suffering from such a severe wound that "you could see his bone".

She immediately stemmed the flow of blood and called for an ambulance.

Paramedics later told Mrs Paterson, 62, that if she hadn't come to the man's rescue, his injuries could have been fatal.

Now the city council, which paid her compensation for the loss of her clothes and other items, has offered to give her four prime tickets to the Concert In The Gardens at Hogmanay in recognition of her bravery.

Mrs Paterson, who lives in Longstone, said the man was bleeding "quite profusely". She said: "It was so bad you could see his bone. People were walking by and not a soul stopped."

When paramedics arrived, they admitted her actions had been life-saving.

"The chaps came after me and said thanks very much for your help," she said. "He would have been in a very bad way if he had been left to lie because of the amount of blood he was losing. Nowadays I think people are frightened to help someone who is lying down. But with the job that I'm in your first port of call is to help someone that needs help.

"I would never walk on and leave someone. It was a very cold night and very slippy and you think, what if it was someone in your own family."

The man – who has remained anonymous but is described as being from Longstone, and in his mid-forties – was rushed to hospital for treatment and has since recovered.

Mrs Paterson had to throw out all of her clothes, a leather handbag and its contents, which included her mobile phone, because they were covered in blood.

Days after the drama, which happened on Friday, December 11, she was told by a shopkeeper that the man was back on his feet and feeling better.

The city council had agreed to pay for the clothes and possessions that were damaged during the incident. But colleagues said that she deserves a bigger prize for her efforts. Council managers then asked Mrs Paterson what she would like as a prize and, at her request, the council agreed to arrange for her to receive four tickets to the Concert In The Gardens Hogmanay event for her and her three grandsons.

Councillor Paul Edie, the city's health and social care leader, said: "Maureen is an inspiration to all; she put others first before thinking of herself.

"At this time of year and as winter sets in, it's great to see Good Samaritans looking out for one another. I hope Maureen enjoys the Hogmanay concert as it is certainly well deserved."

A spokeswoman for Unique Events, which supplied the council with the Hogmanay tickets, said: "We are delighted to offer these tickets to the family and we promise a really memorable evening."