Good Samaritan honoured for trying to save dying man (From The Oxford Times)

Good Samaritan honoured for trying to save dying man

7:36pm Sunday 20th December 2009

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A MOTHER-OF-TWO who tried to resuscitate a man after he leapt from a six-storey car park in Oxford has been praised by police.

In April this year, mental health worker Lyn Buckley was taking a shortcut for a meeting which took her along Beauchamp Lane in Cowley.

The 46-year-old saw a body lying in the middle of the carriageway with shocked passers-by milling around in the road.

She leapt out of her car and when she saw the man was not moving and covered in blood she began giving first aid.

The man had fallen from the top of the Templars Square shopping centre car park.

Mrs Buckley, who lives in Cowley, received a Chief Constable’s Commendation at a police awards ceremony at Drayton Park Golf Club, near Abingdon, on Thursday.

Last night she told the Oxford Mail: “I didn’t have a clue what had happened to him until the gentleman in the street told me he had come off the top of the car park.

“There was a lot of blood coming from him and he was clearly not breathing.

“We do a lot of training in our organisation and I’m a first-aider. I just went to work on him and waited for the ambulance to arrive.

“I did hope I would be able to keep him alive but clearly it was a lost cause.”

Mrs Buckley, who works for mental health group Response Organisation, based in Oxford, administered chest compressions, mouth to mouth and spoke to the ambulance phone operator. She also had to calm down screaming passers-by.

An ambulance arrived at the scene and a 25-year-old man, who had been a mental health patient at Littlemore Hospital, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital. He later died from his injuries.

Mrs Buckley added: “I’m still very emotional about it. At the time I just went into automatic overdrive and the training kicked in.

“Afterwards the ambulance left and nobody spoke to me. So I got back in my car and went on to my meeting. It wasn’t until I sat down that I realised what had happened.

“Even to this day the picture is still clearly in my mind and I still question myself as to whether I did everything I could do.

“At the time I thought there was still a chance. I was informed the following day he had died. He was only young.”

She added: “I was really surprised to get the police award.

“It’s a lovely gesture that makes me feel the work that I do is validated. I think everyone should have first-aid training so they know what to do in a situation like I was in.”

The shopping centre has since closed public access to the top floor of the car park.

Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “Lyn Buckley is commended for her tenacity and professionalism when helping a man who had attempted suicide by jumping from a multi-storey car park.

“In traumatic and difficult circumstances, her actions were exemplary in attempting to save his life.”

Police officers were also honoured at Thursday’s ceremony at Drayton Park Golf Club. More than 160 years of combined service by police officers in Oxfordshire were celebrated during the awards ceremony.

Long service awards and certificates of service were presented to nine officers.

Among the recipients were Det Sgt Stephen Honey, based at Kidlington, who has served 35 years with Thames Valley Police, and Pc Paul Franklin, of Abingdon police, and Det Insp Alan Penny, of Kidlington, who have each served 30 years.

Deputy Chief Constable Francis Habgood, the second-highest-ranked officer in the force, picked up a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for 22 years in the police, which includes five years at Thames Valley. He said: “I am very fortunate to have had some fantastic opportunities within the police service and I have thoroughly enjoyed every role I have had. I look forward to many more years of policing.”

Other medals for 22 years’ service were presented to Pc Colette McCoy, who has been at Abingdon for 11 years, Insp Helen Roberts, based at Banbury for 20 years, and Supt Howard Stone, who has been commander of Cherwell for the past five years.

Pc Michael Harris, from Banbury, and Chief Insp Clive Shepherd, from Bicester, received seven and 20 year service certificates respectively.

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