An 80-year-old British tourist who suffered a cardiac arrest in a hotel in Cyprus was saved thanks to the quick response of a United Hatzalah volunteer who happened to be staying in the same hotel. The incident took place on Friday morning when Rachel Weintraub Yedan, a resident of Afula on vacation in the country, heard calls for help coming from the dining room while sitting in the reception of the Casale Panayiotis Hotel in the small village of Kalopanayiotis.

The fruit platter wine bottle and note left by the staff to thank Yedan 768x1024 1
The fruit platter, wine bottle and note left by the staff to thank Yedan

Yedan, a volunteer EMT, immediately rushed to the source of the distress calls and discovered an unconscious 80-year-old woman who wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. Acting swiftly, she teamed up with another guest to lay the woman down and initiate CPR. With the arrival of the hotel’s defibrillator, Yedan attached it to the woman and delivered two shocks to her chest.

After the second shock, the woman regained consciousness and began breathing again. Local ambulance services arrived at the scene a few minutes later and transported her to a nearby hospital, where she was kept under observation.

Yedan later recounted the incident, saying, “I was calmly reading a book on vacation when I heard the cries for help, and without hesitation, I ran to assist. The transition between the two situations was unusual and yet felt natural. The defibrillator’s voice prompts were in Greek, which added a stressful element to the situation, but I’m grateful that we were able to revive her.”

Before Yedan’s departure, the hotel staff left a note, a fruit platter, and a bottle of wine in her room to express their gratitude for her swift response and life-saving efforts.

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