An Inverness firefighter has been rewarded for his heroism after saving the life of an eight-week-old baby while off-duty.
Gary Curran was named Emergency Services Hero of the Year at the Scottish First Aid Awards for two heroic acts in just 24 hours.
Following a visit to his parents in Perth, Mr Curran, who lives in Grantown-on-Spey but works in Inverness, was alerted to an incident after hearing a woman screaming for help.
A mother was searching for help after her young baby, Oliver, had stopped breathing and became unresponsive in December last year.
He quickly assessed Oliver’s airways, checking for obstructions before carrying out paediatric CPR, while guiding his mother to perform rescue breaths on her son.
He asked a bystander to call the emergency services, and after three rounds of CPR, Oliver began to show signs of life and colour returned to his cheeks.
‘Right place at the right time’
Mr Curran’s quick thinking saved the life of young Oliver, who was released from hospital after an overnight stay while grateful mum Camilla remains in contact with him.
The incident was just hours after Mr Curran was the first responder to a crash when the car in front of him skidded on ice and careered off the road.
He tended to the family-of-four within the vehicle and established their conditions whilst remaining with them until emergency services arrived.
Mr Curran was nominated by his sister and has spent 20 years in the fire service, currently stationed in Inverness.
“I am grateful that I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time for both of these situations.
“Throughout my career, I have been trained in dealing with unexpected emergencies, but knowing Oliver was safe and recovering was particularly emotional.
“It goes to show the importance of everyone being trained in first aid and paediatric first aid.
“In my opinion, it is an essential skill that should be taught to all, as you never know when you might need it.”
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