A fearless six-year-old from Bingham has been hailed a hero after saving his dad’s life during a terrifying medical emergency. Just days after learning how to use the phone in a crisis, young Finlay sprang into action when his father collapsed at home alone with him.
Six-Year-Old’s Calm Saves Dad’s Life
Finlay, a Year 2 pupil at Robert Miles Infant School, was left alone with his dad, Phil, when the latter suddenly struggled to breathe and fell to the floor. With his mother Elaine out, the quick-thinking youngster immediately dialled his mum and warned her of the emergency.
Not stopping there, Finlay stayed cool as a cucumber and calmly talked to 999 operators to explain the situation. Thanks to his bravery and presence of mind, emergency services rushed to their house without delay.
Mum’s Last-Minute Decision Proves Life-Saving
Elaine had been considering cancelling their landline phone, but just days before the crisis, she decided to keep it and teach Finlay how to use it for emergencies.
“I was looking into getting the home phone disconnected due to no longer needing it. Instead, I decided to teach Finlay how to use it in case of an emergency,” Elaine revealed.
“A few days later, I got a call from Finlay telling me, ‘Daddy wasn’t well’. I could hear that Phil could not breathe and Finlay told me he was on the floor.”
Paramedics Praise Finlay’s Bravery and Quick Thinking
When paramedics arrived, they performed chest compressions on Phil before rushing him to hospital. Greg Cox, Divisional Director for Nottinghamshire at East Midlands Ambulance Service, praised the youngster’s courage.
“We’re incredibly proud of Finlay for his quick thinking and bravery. When his dad became seriously unwell, he stayed calm,” said Cox.
School Celebrates Young Hero and Launches Emergency Lessons
Robert Miles Infant School has honoured Finlay with a certificate and invited him to share his heroic story during assembly. Assistant head Rosie Pilborough said:
“Finlay was able to keep so calm in such a tense and difficult situation. That’s remarkable for someone so young. Everyone at the school is so proud of Finlay. He is such a hero.”
The school has now introduced lessons teaching pupils how to handle emergencies and which services to call – a fitting legacy to Finlay’s quick thinking and bravery.
