A young couple who saved a schoolboy after he went into cardiac arrest in central Manchester are desperate to trace the homeless man who gave him life-saving CPR. Nicole Bodgers and Brad Roberts had just been out enjoying a meal in Manchester city centre on the evening of February 15 when they saw 13-year-old Blake Spiers seriously unwell after collapsing on the floor.
It later turned out that Blake had suffered a heart attack after his friend was robbed. Nicole, who lives in Longbridge near Preston, explained how they were walking back to their car when they spotted the youngster on the floor with his friends surrounding him. Thinking he looked like he needed help, they bravely headed over, and as soon as they got closer they realised he was in a very serious condition and called 999.
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Tracey Speirs/MEN Media)
While on the phone, the call operator became concerned about his “sharp deep breaths” and respiratory pauses, so told them to start doing CPR. It was around this time that the mystery homeless man walked over to help.
The 24-year-old told the MailOnline: “The caller on the phone then said we needed to start doing CPR so we got him on his back while Brad ran towards the ambulance which couldn’t drive down the pedestrianised Market Street. They guided me on the phone and I tried to do it, but I wasn’t strong enough so it was the homeless man who took charge while I rested his head on my knees.”
Thankfully, paramedics managed to revive the young lad when they arrived at the scene before rushing him to hospital. Nicole described it as “very scary” but said that the adrenaline coursing through them prevented them getting upset at the time. However, the homeless man – who left just after it happened – appeared “visibly upset” at the time, and she worries that he wouldn’t have “someone he could taking about this with”.
She added: “If I could speak to him I’d like him to know we’re grateful for what he did and I’d just like to help him and help each other process this, because when he left he was visibly upset.”
The couple were completely in the dark as to whether the youngster even survived the heart attack until a week later when they read about the ordeal in a Manchester Evening News article.
Nicole – who works as an IT project manager – then set about trying to get in touch with Tracy Spiers, Blake’s mum, by joining local community groups on Facebook. After tracking her down, she reached out and recalls her being “really nice and grateful for all our help”.
The pair then spoke on the phone and put her on to Blake, who also thanked them for everything they’d done. They agreed to go and see him in hospital, and are planning to take him a gift to help alleviate the boredom. But Blake has been keeping busy, setting up a GoFundMe so he can raise enough money for his mum and younger brother to stay in special accommodation for relatives of sick children.
Greater Manchester Police have arrested a 17 and 18-year-old on suspicion of robbery, with them both being bailed pending further enquiries. In a statement, GMP previously said: “Detectives investigating reports of a robbery in Manchester city centre at the weekend have made two arrests.
“The incident occurred on shortly before 9pm on Sunday 15 February, with a male reportedly having an item of clothing taken from him during an altercation. An investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances.
“One man, aged 18, was arrested on suspicion of robbery and has since been bailed pending further enquiries. Another male, aged 17, has been arrested on suspicion of the same offence and remains in custody for questioning.”
