What if you found somebody unconscious in the forest?

[Paul Frost]

What would you do if you found somebody unconscious in the forest?
Well that's what happened to Caroline Pears (Moravian Orienteers) on Day 2 of the JK at Dunalastair.
She has written a short piece about it and it's on the Scottish Orienteering website, with links to the Vinnie Jones campaign by the British Heart Foundation.

There have been some high profile instances of giving up your run to help a fellow competitor, but I'm sure that there are many that we never hear about.

[Mrs H]

A very graphic and moving account - well done Caroline

[graeme]

I whacked her in the centre of her chest with my fist

Very very brave, I'm not sure I would have dared do the right thing.

[widdershins]

As the Day organiser for the event, I am extremely grateful to Caroline and all the other orienteers who helped directly on the day. I am aware of seven orienteers like Caroline who either interrupted their runs, abandoned their runs, or didn't take their run on the day to help. I have thanked those whom I know about directly.

My additional thanks to Caroline for writing an excellent article, and bringing it to the wider attention.

[EddieH]

Great story. However her name is Caroline Hornby, not Pears. No idea how that mistaken id came about.

[RS]

Says Pears on the article..........

[widdershins]

Caroline Hornby aka Dr Pears

[Sunlit Forres]

Know your fellow club members Eddie! The Northern Scot are doing a piece on it this Friday.

[Kerry W]

I had no idea that this had happened at the JK. Well done to Caroline for what she did on the day and thanks for the article which brings it to our attention.

I haven't done any first aid training since school and having read this today will be getting booked onto a local course to update my skills in this area as soon as possible. Hopefully I'll never need to use them but I guess you just never know.

I know my aunt recently was the first or one of the first to come across a competitor with a badly broken leg at an event overseas so incidents do happen more than probably reported/appreciated.

I hope the young person involved is making a good recovery. I'd like to say thanks to all of those named and otherwise who were involved. Good to have a happy ending.

[Lucy.F.]

A very interesting article....a good reminder of how important it is we are able, and willing, to deal with such situations.

It has prompted a certain uni club I used to be a member of to look into sorting out a first aid course for it's members. So good things come of such stories being made public

[gowrie]

Awesome story. I was there - yet knew nothing about it. Well done all involved.

[andy]

yes, excellent stuff. I had heard on the day that 'someone was found asleep in the forest' I guess this was them... well done to everyone who stopped and helped

[PhilJ]

I also came across an elderly lady as I was leaving my number 2 control at Dunalistair (M45S), she was sitting up and had a coat around her and 2/3 people looking after her. She was being cared for and I was not need so carried on. But some kind poeple would have given up their run.
It also reminds me of when a kind runner helped my daughter at the JK sprint at Bicton college. She collapsed (fainted as it turned out) on her run and he stopped to help her and make sure she was ok and helped her back to the assembly. She was suffering from low blood sugars etc so was fine after a bit of rest, but he was not to know that.

[Sunlit Forres]

Caroline's story made front-page local news http://www.northern-scot.co.uk/News/Moray-GP-makes-life-saving-dash-20042012.htm