Heroic Samantha honoured at Pride of Somerset Youth Awards (From Yeovil Express)
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Heroic Samantha honoured at Pride of Somerset Youth Awards
9:46am Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News
Deb Criddle, Samantha Hobbs and Ch Supt Daimon Tilley, of sponsors Avon and Somerset Police
A 14-YEAR-OLD life-saver from Yeovil was honoured at the Pride of Somerset Youth Awards on Friday.
Samantha Hobbs recently woke to the terrifying sound of her dad calling the emergency services because her mum had suffered a heart attack.
Keeping a cool head, and deploying skills she had learnt in life-saving classes, she performed CPR on her mother until the ambulance arrived, helping to save her mum’s life.
But her heroism proved a life changing moment as since then, she has been spreading the word and getting others trained in life saving techniques.
She was nominated by staff at her school, Westfield Academy in Yeovil, who said she wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron to ask that all children are taught life saving skills.
She also persuaded teachers to run CPR training for her fellow students and last month, on British Heart Foundation Day, she organised for St John Ambulance to visit Westfield to run resuscitation training for more than 60 students.
Her nomination read: “She is a real credit to our school. Her bravery, calmness and tenacity have been an inspiration to us all.”
The Pride of Somerset Youth Awards are run by the Newsquest Somerset, publisher of this website, Taunton Rotary Club and BBC Somerset and recognise the outstanding contribution of people under the age of 20 They were sponsored by Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and Somerset County Cricket Club and Museum.
26 young people were honoured at the ceremony held on Friday, March 8, at Taunton Conference Centre, at Somerset College, which was given free for the evening.
Winners were presented with their certificates by six-time Paralympic medallist Deb Criddle, of Trull, near Taunton – and got the chance to try on the gold and two silvers she earned at London 2012 after Friday’s ceremony.
A spokesman for the awards said: “Once again it was humbling to be in the presence of so many young people with wonderful stories to tell. Congratulations to all nominees.”
