An off-duty Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedic has been praised after helping save the life of a man who suffered a cardiac arrest while shopping at a supermarket in Leeds.
Senior Clinical Advisor Nicola Mulligan had just finished a night shift and was shopping at her local supermarket when she heard someone calling for a first aider.
She immediately went to investigate and discovered a man who had collapsed and was in cardiac arrest.
With an ambulance already on its way, Nicola began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and asked the supermarket’s first aider to fetch a defibrillator.
Four shocks were delivered before the man’s heartbeat was successfully restored with the assistance of ambulance crews.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service has confirmed that the man survived.
Off-Duty Paramedic Rushes to Help Collapsed Shopper
Despite being off duty, Nicola immediately put her clinical training into action when she realised the man needed urgent medical assistance.
She began chest compressions while waiting for the defibrillator to arrive.
When the equipment was brought to her, she administered three shocks.
The man initially showed signs of life, but his heart subsequently stopped again.
Nicola continued her efforts, delivering a fourth shock before working alongside the arriving ambulance crew.
His heart began beating again, and he survived the emergency.
The ambulance service has highlighted her rapid intervention as an example of the difference immediate CPR and access to a defibrillator can make.
Training Kicks In After Nearly a Decade Away From Frontline CPR
Remarkably, Nicola had not performed CPR during a real-life emergency since working on frontline ambulances in 2016.
Despite the years that had passed, she said her training returned when it mattered most.
Speaking about the incident, Nicola said:
“I was just pleased to have been there and to have been able to start CPR immediately.”
She believes the immediate intervention was vital to the man’s survival.
Nicola also stressed that CPR is a skill members of the public can learn, even if they rarely need to use it.
Her experience demonstrates how basic resuscitation knowledge can make a significant difference before an ambulance arrives.
NHS Call Handler Also Guides Son Through Life-Saving CPR
In her current role, Nicola works within Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s Emergency Operations Centre in Wakefield, providing clinical advice to people calling 999.
She has worked in the control room since 2019.
During a separate emergency call, Nicola was speaking to a man whose mother went into cardiac arrest.
Using secure video technology, she was able to see what was happening and guide the woman’s son through CPR.
Nicola sent a link to his mobile phone, enabling her to provide live instructions and feedback.
She helped him adjust his hand position and guided the depth and speed of his chest compressions.
When ambulance crews arrived, they were able to restore the woman’s heartbeat.
The ambulance service said the immediate CPR provided by the son played an important role in the outcome.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service Highlights Control Room Heroes
The two incidents demonstrate the different ways ambulance service professionals can help save lives, both at the scene of an emergency and remotely through the 999 control room.
Nicola’s work forms part of Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s wider efforts to encourage more people to learn basic resuscitation skills.
The Trust shared her story as part of its Restart a Heart campaign and ahead of International Control Room Week, highlighting the essential contribution made by staff working behind the scenes.
Control room employees regularly support callers through frightening and potentially life-threatening situations, providing reassurance, dispatching emergency resources and giving instructions before crews arrive.
How to Help Someone in Cardiac Arrest
A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively around the body.
Without immediate action, it can quickly become fatal.
If someone collapses, is unresponsive and is not breathing normally, members of the public should call 999 immediately and begin CPR following instructions from the emergency call handler.
An automated external defibrillator (AED) should be used as soon as one becomes available, following its spoken instructions.
The device will assess the person’s heart rhythm and advise whether a shock is required.
Anyone can learn CPR, and training is available through organisations including the British Heart Foundation and the British Red Cross.
A Life Saved Through Quick Action
Yorkshire Ambulance Service published Nicola’s story on 15 October 2026 to highlight the importance of immediate intervention during cardiac arrest.
The service has not publicly identified the supermarket or the man involved in the incident.
By acting immediately, starting CPR and using the defibrillator, Nicola helped give the shopper a chance of survival.
Her separate work helping a son perform CPR on his mother also shows the vital role that emergency control room clinicians can play.
