A Scots mum has hailed a brave ASDA worker who performed life-saving first aid after she suffered a brain aneurysm in store.
Mum-of-three Lisa Colborne became seriously unwell and collapsed at the Tranent store in East Lothian last month.
Store worker Lauren Watt rushed to help the unconscious shopper and carried out CPR for 15 minutes while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
Lisa, from Edinburgh, was raced to the Western General Hospital where she had emergency surgery to stem the bleeding.
The 39-year-old, who also developed pneumonia, spent two weeks in hospital before being allowed to return home to her children Dylan, 21, Brendan, 19, and Rylie, eight.
Lisa said: "What Lauren did for me that day was simply amazing. She definitely saved my life and I can't thank her enough.
“She kept me alive. She had to give me CPR for about 15 minutes, so it was quite a long time. I did end up with a broken rib, so that just shows how long she was doing it for.
“Better to have a broken rib though than be dead. Everyone was so scared, they didn't think I'd make it. I am so grateful for Lauren being there and helping me.”
Lauren, a section leader with the supermarket giant, told how she was just about to finish for the day when the alarm was raised.
She said: “I was due to finish my shift when I got called to the incident. Lisa was unconscious on the ground and not moving, but knowing I was first aid trained, my colleague Brodie passed the phone to me and I followed the instructions of the 999 operator.
"We put the defibrillator pads on Lisa to monitor her and I began CPR and did so until the paramedics arrived.
“They then instructed me to keep going while they got their equipment ready for her.
"I had the phone to my shoulder all the time I was doing the compressions - the operator kept me really calm and was counting with me.”
"The paramedics said that if I hadn't kept Lisa's blood flowing by administering CPR she would no longer be with us. I'm just so happy that I've helped her stay with her family.
"It's a really proud feeling that Lisa's here today because of what I did. Knowing now that she is okay is such an incredible feeling.”
Peter McAloon, Tranent Store Manager, commended Lauren for her heroic act.
He said: “The whole store is so proud of Lauren. She shows a lot of compassion and empathy in everything she does in the store, to both customers and colleagues.
“She is very caring and responsible - just the complete package for what we are looking for in an Asda colleague.
"I only heard about the incident second hand because Lauren is so humble.
“She wasn't shouting from the rooftops that she'd saved someone's life – which speaks volumes about her as a person.
“Saving someone's life is not something you do every day. We are so proud of her."
