Off-duty paramedic commended for saving the life of school girl sucked into the sea at Porthcawl
An off-duty paramedic who saved the life of a school girl who was sucked underwater has been given a commendation for his actions.
Gino Matrella, 60, was on a day out at Porthcawl beach with his family last July when he was alerted to two teenage boys dragging a young girl out of the sea.
Gino - who has worked for the Welsh Ambulance Service for 37 years - ran down to the shore where he immediately began to assess the girl.
“I asked the boys to lay her down flat on her back away from the water so I could begin checking her vital signs,” said Gino.
“I noticed her pulse was very slow and her breathing wasn’t there and thought, ‘we are in serious trouble here’.
“Luckily she brought up some clear fluid, which is a good sign.”
Gino shouted for the lifeguard and an ambulance to be called, while he brought her inland due to the rising tide.
He added: “I really needed some equipment there and the lifeguard arrived quickly with some oxygen.
“As I moved her up the beach, she was still not conscious but her pupils were beginning to contract to a normal diameter.
“I remember trying to keep her warm and monitor very closely her vital signs, which thankfully were returning.”
When Gino's colleagues from the Welsh Ambulance Service arrived at the scene to take over, he then went to reassure the girl's mother about her daughter's condition.
"I went to comfort the girl’s mother who was naturally very upset and explained to her what was happening and that her daughter was improving”, Gino said.
Robert Huish, from the Welsh Ambulance Service's Hazardous Area Response Team, was the first on-duty medic to arrive.
He said: “Gino had done a lot of the hard work and when we arrived we had all the right tools to do the job."
He added: “The family were very lucky that day that Gino was in the right place at the right time.
“It was such a simple accident but no matter how calm water looks it is always unpredictable, powerful and relentless.
“The family were very lucky that day and we are glad it was a positive outcome for the young lady.”
Gino has been presented with a commendation by the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Chief Executive Jason Killens.
Jason said: “Our frontline staff are never really off-duty.
“Whilst enjoying precious time with his own family, Gino instinctively stepped in to help another family and his years of experience helped achieve the best outcome for the young girl.
“I am always proud of our staff and enjoy recognising our staff with a commendation when such extraordinary events occur.”
Gino, who is originally from Italy, came to Wales as a young man to learn the language.
On accepting his commendation, Gino said: “I am happy to accept this recognition and wish to pay tribute to all my colleagues who attended that day.
“It was a bit of a blur, but dealing with situations like this is not out of the ordinary for me.
“It is what I do.
“But, it remains absolutely vital that members of the public are aware of CPR and even how to use a defibrillator for when emergencies occur in public or at work.”