A heroic Aberdeenshire lad is calling on fellow teenagers to step up and help others after he was recognised for his bravery in helping save a girl’s life.
Alfie Fraser from Westhill was awarded the Local Hero Courage prize in this year’s Inspiring Aberdeenshire Awards in honour of his selfless bravery.
In February, the 15-year-old was hanging out with his friends at Westhill Golf Club when he witnessed young Evie Collie collide into a tree while sledging down a steep hill.
Upon realising how serious the 11-year-old’s condition was, Alfie raced to her side to call for help and comfort her until her parents arrived.
He then went above and beyond to help the paramedic crew when they arrived, carrying equipment through deep snow in the cold, making several trips and helping the crew get the child into the ambulance.
Alfie was wearing no gloves, had just trainers on his feet, and yet battled against the elements to get the child to safety.
Young Evie was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) where doctors diagnosed her with 11 posterior rib fractures and a collapsed lung.
‘I didn’t really think about it’
Alfie said he didn’t think before jumping into action.
“I was just at the top of the hill with my mates and I saw her go down the hill and hit the tree,” he said
“I waited for a second and I saw she wasn’t moving.
“I thought she hit the tree pretty hard so she must have hurt herself in some way so I didn’t really think about it, I just went down to help.”
Inspiring Aberdeenshire Awards 2021
In recognition of his efforts, Alfie was nominated by an ambulance paramedic for an Inspiring Aberdeenshire award.
The awards, held virtually for a second consecutive year, honours inspiring individuals and groups for their heroic and kindness in the community.
Alfie said he is honoured to have received the accolade but said he was simply grateful to have been there for Evie at her time of need.
He is now appealing to his fellow peers to be prepared to roll up their sleeves and offer their support in such eventualities.
He added: “To be honest, I was just glad I could help. I’m happy with the award but I would be happy without it.
“I think it’s something we should all do because it’s a good thing to do and it could really help somebody in that sort of situation.
“If you do see someone in difficulty, the least you can do is make sure they are okay first off because that could really help and impact somebody’s life.”
‘We are super proud of him’
Alfie’s mum Naomi says they are “bursting with pride” over his selfless act.
She said: “We are super proud of him. It’s something that he did just off the cuff without thinking about it really, he saw her hit a tree and went over to help.
“He kept her mum calm, kept her still so she didn’t move and then when the paramedics came he went down to meet them and took them to where she was and helped carry her down.
“He used to go to Scouts so I think he did first aid training there. We’ve had a few incidents where things that he’s learned in Scouts have actually been almost life saving.”
The Aberdeenshire mum admits she initially thought his tale of the incident was merely an excuse for him being home late.
She added: “It’s funny because when he came home he was actually quite shaken.
“Once the adrenalin wore off, I was telling him off because he was late home and then he said, ‘You’re not going to believe what’s just happened.’
“I actually thought he had made it up, I thought he’ll say anything because he is late home.
“I could see that he was quite shaken up and when Marlene, Evie’s mum phoned later on to thank him, it wasn’t until we realised how sick that she was, it hit home.”
‘Thank you Alfie’
Following the tragic incident, young Evie was rushed to A&E when she underwent x-rays and a CT scan to pinpoint her injuries.
Diagnosed with 11 rib fractures and a collapsed lung she was rushed to surgery in an attempt to reinflate her lung.
Following the success of the operation, the 11-year-old was transferred to the High Dependency unit at ARI’s sick kids hospital where she spent three days and nights
More than six months on from the ordeal, Evie has been described by her mum Marlene as an “absolute miracle” having made a full recovery.
Evie thanked Alfie for his kindness after being left screaming in agony on the snow covered golf course.
“Thank you Alfie, he’s amazing,” she said.
“He listened to my mum and the instructions that she gave him.”
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‘He could have walked away but he didn’t’
Mrs Collie has spoken of her gratitude to Alfie “going above and beyond” to help their daughter.
She said: “Alfie was instrumental. He helped with the paramedic getting equipment from the ambulance.
“Alfie did the right thing. I think he saw her collide with the tree and he knew that it was quite serious. He was amazing in going above and beyond to help her.
“He was just amazing for his age. He could have walked away but he didn’t. He witnessed a serious accident and he didn’t think, he just got involved.
“Teenagers get a lot of negativity and it’s a shame so when something good happens, it’s good for that to be recognised.”
Pleas to teach pupils first aid
Mrs Collie, a registered nurse, is now calling for first aid to added to the educational curriculum to ensure young people are prepared for such incidents.
“I think it’s important and they should be given first aid at school,” she said.
“I think Scouts, Cubs and Brownies do first aid badges but I think it would be quite good for the education board to consider giving them first aid at school, especially when you have defibrillators on the go.
“It’s helpful for people to know the basics, for instance, if you see an accident do not move the casualty.
“Due to the severity of Evie’s injuries, she could have been in a worse position than she is today. She could have had life changing injuries.”
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