Firearms officer hailed 'real-life hero' after saving two lives in two days

An "exceptional" police officer has been hailed a hero after helping to save two lives in just two days.

Armed response officer PC Richard Shea, who joined North Wales Police in 2013, is trained in advanced trauma care and and carries high-level medical kit with him.

The first life-saving incident happened when he and his police partner responded to a medical emergency on the eastbound carriageway of the A55 near Broughton in Flintshire.

They were going in the opposite direction when they spotted that a person was receiving cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a lay-by on the other side of the dual carriageway.

After doubling back, PC Shea assessed the condition of the unconscious woman and found that she was not breathing, had no heartbeat and "was essentially dead”.

He said: “There was a member of the public who was at the scene with the casualty doing CPR, and there was also the partner of the casualty who was giving breaths at the time we arrived."

PC Shea took over the chest compressions and used a defibrillator on the woman.

He added: “Two ambulances and an air ambulance turned up and she was stretchered into an ambulance, where as a result of the care given her heart rate was brought back again.

“A traffic officer then followed up to check at hospital and this person had gone through surgery, so the last update we had was that things were improving."

The second incident happened a day and a half later, when a person suffered what was suspected to be a cardiac arrest at a caravan site near Rhyl.

PC Shea said: "When I got there, two local officers from Rhyl were working on the casualty and members of the family were there watching.

“Again, this person had no pulse, no breathing, essentially not with us really."

PC Shea administered oxygen and performed CPR, helped by others at the scene.

“The ambulance turned up and I carried on doing the CPR in the ambulance," he said.

"The paramedics were conducting their checks. As a result of the CPR, her heart started beating on its own again prior to the ambulance wheels rolling, so there was a good recovery there.

“Obviously, we’re police armed response officers, not paramedics but the nature of the job we do means we are called to a lot of medical emergencies. Often we bridge the gap until the ambulance arrives.

“The training is extremely good. We do advanced trauma care, and we can pretty much take care of anything pre-hospital with what we carry in the medical kit bag.”

PC Shea is now being nominated for an official commendation from North Wales Police, along with a Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society award - an accolade specifically for saving lives.

Chief Inspector Simon Newell, who is in charge of the Armed Response Alliance, said he was “immensely proud” of PC Shea.

He said: “It just goes to show that what we are not just about firearms officers. The team brings a whole lot more to policing and protecting the community and keeping them safe, rather than just responding to firearms incidents. 

"They are trained to an immensely high level - not far off paramedic standard. Their primary function is to save lives, and that is what we do in whichever way possible."

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said PC Shea is a "real-life hero".

He added: “People like PC Rich Shea are very special. What he has done in saving two lives is incredible. He is clearly an exceptional officer and a credit to the force. He is fully deserving of being honoured for his heroic, life-saving actions.

“I can’t thank him and his colleagues enough for everything they do in protecting and saving lives."