Kelmscott teenager Alanah Dunstan mistakenly went to work last Thursday, not realising it was a public holiday.
That mistake turned out to be a life-saver, with the 18-year-old calling on her first-aid knowledge to save the life of a fellow passenger travelling on the Thornlie line.
After realising her Northbridge workplace was closed for the day, Dunstan walked back to the train station when she noticed a man run past her and on to the train.
“I sat down on the train and the man who had run past me, he was breathing really heavily, like he had asthma,” she said.
“I was minding my business, I didn’t want to stare at him, but then two stops down he collapsed, all his muscles had contracted and he was stuck in this awful position.”
Dunstan sprung from her seat to aid the man, 45-year-old Gustavo Berna, placing him in the recovery position, urging one passenger to call 000 and another to alert the train driver.
“There was another man who was taking his pulse, and he said he could feel a pulse but it was very weak.
“He wasn’t responding verbally, then the other man said the heartbeat was gone.
“I was scared, I didn’t want to make a mistake so I asked the girl on the phone to call 000 if I could start CPR, they said yes, so I jumped up and started CPR.
“The train driver saw me doing CPR, so he went back to the carriage and put the train in reverse, we went from Burswood straight back to the city and the ambulance picked him up from there.”
Alanah attributed her quick actions to gaining her first aid certificate at Kelmscott High School.
She said it was vital that more people sign up for classes that can save someone’s life.
“He survived, and he’s having bypass surgery on Tuesday.
“I found his family on Facebook, I’ve talked to his sister-in-law Bianca.
“She’s told me he doesn’t even remember getting on the train, it was running for the train that triggered the cardiac arrest.
“It’s so, so crucial to get first aid training, it was just like second nature to me because I had the training, I knew immediately what to do.”
Late on Monday, Victor Berna, Gustavo’s brother, took to the Thornlie Community Noticeboard Facebook page, labelling Dunstan a hero.
“Alanah Dunstan I have no words to express my gratitude for saving my brother’s life, on September 22 the doctors met us to tell us that he would have brain damage and a possible fatal outcome, today thanks to you and your courage it could be a story of life and he could continue his life next to his 13-year-old son and his family,” he wrote.
“We hope to meet you very soon”
Dunstan said she had plans to meet Gustavo, and his family, once he has recuperated.
