Quick-thinking store staff rush to woman’s aid
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Aine Thorpe sales assistant in Love Fresh Park Rí, Aaron Conlon chef in the Cook of Kells and The Lloyd Restaurant, and Josh Hanlon assistant manager Love Fresh Park Rí went to assist.Image 2 of 2
Aine Thorpe sales assistant in Love Fresh Park Rí, Aaron Conlon chef in the Cook of Kells and The Lloyd Restaurant, and Josh Hanlon assistant manager Love Fresh Park Rí went to assistQuick-thinking and swift action by staff and customers at Aldi and Park Ri in Kells helped a woman who suffered a medical emergency in Aldi recently.
The woman took ill while shopping in Aldi at around 5pm last Monday evening.
A quick thinking member of Aldi staff remembered that there was a defibrillator across the road at Park Ri service and quickly went across, while an off duty paramedic who was in the store went to the aid of the customer.
“We’re aware of a medical emergency that took place in our Kells store on Sunday last. We would like to thank the quick response of an off-duty paramedic who was in the store at the time, supported by Aldi’s store team. We would like to wish the customer a speedy recovery,” according to a statement from Aldi.
The staff in Park Ri Kells were alerted when the Aldi staff members ran across from their store.
Aaron Conlon, a chef in Park Ri, immediately took the defibrillator from its storage area and gave it to the Aldi staff member.
As Park Ri have a number of staff trained in First Aid – four of these staff from the different Park Ri outlets made their way immediately to Aldi to see if they could assist. They were Aaron Conlon; Rebecca Carry of The Coffee Spot; Aine Thorpe and John Hannon, both McKeon’s Love Fresh.
When they arrived at the scene there was a paramedic assisting the lady.
This was not the first time the defibrillator from Park Ri has been used in an emergency. It was purchased by the management of Park Ri who had it fitted outside of the Cavan Road premises in July 2021.
The device, which delivers an electric current to restart the heart when someone is in cardiac arrest, has been placed at the entrance door of Park Ri and is available for the community to use.
Damien Duffy Operations Director Park Ri said: "I am happy to reward all three of our staff for their effort in helping this lady. We have approximately 15 people trained in first aid and I am delighted that this lady was helped. It is our commitment that we will help our customers if needed."