A MAN has been hailed a hero after using skills he learned only a couple of days prior to potentially save a woman’s life.

Rutcher Gomes, 29, is a youth worker at the Yellow and Blue community hub in Wrexham where he leads activities and groups for young people and people with mental health problems such as t-shirt printing and music therapy.

On Monday, Rutcher voluntarily attended an emergency first aid at work course through the AVOW Voluntary and Community Team to which he left the course to the words, “I hope I never have to be in the position I need to do this.”

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Within 48 hours, Rutcher found himself called into action when a woman had experienced the first of what would proceed to be 10 fits.

Rutcher, originally from Sao Tome and Principe, Africa, recalled the moment he never expected to happen: “I knew I had to use the skills I learned and try my best, I took a deep breath and started to put everything I learned into practice.”

“Nothing but fear was going through my mind but the last thing I could do was show it, so I remained calm and thought ‘I need to keep her calm’, so I promised her she wouldn’t be going to hospital, I’ve got this.”

“Between the fourth and fifth fit, I could see her colour changing so I believe this is when I did CPR to resuscitate her, I then put her back into the recovery position. She had another five light fits, by which point we had been waiting over two hours for an ambulance.”

“The ambulance arrived, and she was checked by professionals and released back to Yellow and Blue (community hub), I then hugged all my colleagues and gave her a massive hug and my words were – I told you, you’re not going to the hospital.”

Ali Rippon, a regular customer at Yellow and Blue was the lady who unfortunately collapsed.

She said: “I owe my life to him.”

“It was a very scary experience; I can’t thank him enough.”

Reflecting on the whirlwind event, the 29-year-old described it as ‘unbelievable’.

He added: “The feeling now is unbelievable. Changing lives and saving a life, when years ago I didn’t even have a plan (in my life) is something amazing.”

Ructher added: “If my mother didn’t raise me with a lot of love and care, I wouldn’t know how to show it with the world.”

A spokesperson for the Yellow and Blue community hub said: “This lad is golden, we love him to bits and we are lucky to have him – he has a heart of gold that only wants to see Wrexham smile.”