Jersey Scout commended for aiding father after collapse

A Scout from Jersey has received commendation for his composure and rapid response following his father’s collapse. Peter Routier experienced a medical emergency while playing football with his son, Charlie, at St Martin’s Village Green. Eleven-year-old Charlie recalled the Young Responders training he had undertaken with the St John Ambulance Service at the 6th Jersey Scout Group prior to the event. He verified his father’s pulse and breathing, then sought assistance to contact emergency services for an ambulance. For his courage and bravery, Charlie was awarded an Island Commissioner’s Award. According to Scout leaders, his prompt actions ensured Mr Routier’s hospitalization, and he is currently recovering well. Charlie recounted that his father “was about to score a goal” when he “completely blacked out and fell backwards”. He stated, “The training taught me how to check that he was breathing, what to do if he wasn’t breathing and what to do when the ambulance came.” He added, “I’m most proud of my new badge because it’s for saving my dad.” Jo Routier, Charlie’s mother and a volunteer for the 6th Jersey Scout Group, expressed her pride in her son. Mrs Routier stated: “I looked at my phone and there were messages saying ‘Mum, mum, urgent, urgent’ and then I got a phone call and it was actually the teacher that Charlie had found to help him.” She further commented: “He was calm and didn’t panic. If he had just stood there and done nothing, it could have been a worse situation.” Mrs Routier explained that the incident stemmed from an issue with her husband’s heart rhythm, but he has since undergone examination and treatment. Emma Ward, representing St John Ambulance, assists in delivering the Young Responders training to organizations such as the Jersey Scouts. She remarked that Charlie “did what he was taught to do” and “stayed calm and did it really, really well.” She stated: “At the moment we are delivering the Young Responders programme into a lot of schools but if we can get more young people doing it then that’s all the better.” The Young Responders programme is offered without charge to individuals aged 11 to 25 years. Evelyn Martin-Foley, the leader of the 6th Jersey Scout Group, commended Charlie for his prompt actions. She commented: “We were extremely proud of Charlie and the skills he learned that day with St John Ambulance Service made sure he could do what he had to do for his dad on the day.” She further added: “It shows how the Scouts is an amazing organisation for young people to learn skills for life.” For updates, follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Story ideas can be submitted to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.