How a young paramedic kept her calm during a terrifying call to save an Australian mother’s life

An Australian mother has spoken to the emergency worker who saved her life by resuscitating her husband and son during a dramatic emergency call.

The terrifying incident happened just over a month ago in Perth, when Donna Edwards choked on her food and subsequently suffered a heart attack.

“It was the scariest night of my life, I’ll be honest,” Mr Edwards said 7News.

Mr Edwards remembers watching football in their back room and his wife eating dinner in the front room.

Their teenage son Lachlan discovered Mrs Edwards choking and unresponsive and they immediately called 911.

The heartbreaking audio of the call shows Mrs. Edwards struggling to breathe as Mr. Edwards tells dispatcher Tegan what he sees.

“Okay, her eyes are open and she’s not doing anything,” Mr. Edwards said.

“She’s trying to breathe… she’s just sucking in air.”

Tegan (pictured), the St John Ambulance triple-0 dispatcher, taught Mr Edwards and Lachlan how to perform life-saving CPR on Mrs Edwards.

Emergency services arrived on the scene and Mrs Edwards was rushed to hospital where she spent a month recovering

Tegan instructs Mr Edwards and Lachlan on how to perform CPR.

“Pump your chest hard and fast, 30 times,” Tegan said.

‘At least twice per second, and at least two inches deep.’

‘Just blow into her mouth twice… and tell me when you’ve done it.

‘The chest should rise with each breath.’

Emergency services arrived on the scene and Mrs Edwards was rushed to hospital, where she spent a month recovering.

Donna Edwards (pictured) suffocated and suffered a heart attack before being saved by the quick actions of her husband and son

Fortunately for Mrs. Edwards, her husband had completed a first aid refresher course a few weeks earlier.

Monique Gillet, Mr. Edwards’ instructor, said she hopes her students never have to use their first aid skills, but “you hope that if they do, they’ll have the confidence to do it.”

On Saturday, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards met Tegan, the triple 0 operator.

One of the first responders to assist Mrs Edwards, Paramedic Cody, praised Mr Edwards’ life-saving actions.

“Derek had performed CPR so effectively that she even had a heartbeat when we arrived, which was amazing,” he said.

“It makes our job a lot easier. But she was still in respiratory arrest, she had a pretty big obstruction in her airway.”

Tegan also praised Mr Edwards and Lachlan, who ‘handled it so well’ despite the critical situation.

Mrs Edwards urged everyone to take a first aid course.

“It could happen to anyone at any time, and if Derek didn’t know what he knew, I wouldn’t be here, so I think it’s really important,” she said.