Man performs CPR on unconscious man at Toa Payoh coffee shop — a day after receiving Stomp Goody Bag
A man was taken to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest at a coffee shop in Toa Payoh on April 22.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at Block 203 Toa Payoh North at around 1.10pm and conveyed one person to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Dr Martin Wong, who lives and works in the area, told Stomp he was alerted to the case through the myResponder app at about 1.11pm and immediately ran across the road to help.
The 53-year-old researcher and adjunct professor said: “I cut my fingers while retrieving an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), but there was no time to think about that.”
‘Everyone looked shocked’
Martin, who was with his colleagues and wife, said they initially did not notice anything unusual upon reaching the block.
“I then ran into the coffee shop and shouted to ask if anyone was unconscious. Everyone looked shocked,” he said.
“A moment later, someone pointed to a man slumped quietly at the corner of the coffee shop. Even more striking was that the people around him were still calmly eating their lunch, unaware of what was happening.”
Martin and his companions quickly brought the unconscious man to the ground and cleared a space around him. The man appeared to be between 65 to 70 years old.
“He was unconscious, non-responsive and not breathing when I checked on him,” said Martin, who immediately begain cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
“Together with a bystander, we did two cycles of compressions before the paramedics arrived and took over.”
The incident comes just days after Martin and his wife received Stomp Goody Bags for assisting at a traffic accident in Toa Payoh on April 6.
During an interview with Stomp on April 21, he had encouraged more people to learn first aid, stressing that anyone can make a difference in critical moments.
Reflecting on this latest incident, Martin said: “It reminded me that a person in distress can sometimes be hiding in plain sight.
“In an emergency, every second matters. Please learn CPR, learn how to use an AED, and never assume someone else will step in.”
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