A NEAR-DEATH experience has prompted one mum from Bracknell to praise the ‘on the ball’ security staff at a hotel for ‘saving her life’.
Laura Veale, from Great Hollands, was enjoying pre-Christmas festivities at the Keller Bar and Apres Nightclub in the Coppid Beech Hotel when it happened.
The 38 year old suddenly collapsed and says it was only down to the quick-thinking security staff that she is here today.
Ms Veale said: “I basically collapsed and died, but two people on security Tania and Mark saved my life.
“They performed CPR and used a defibrillator.
“I was so lucky that they had one there, if it was not for the defibrillator I would not be here now.
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“The security staff were so quick and on the ball, they knew something serious was up.
“They picked me up and took me into their first aid room.
“They had to the cut my clothes off me to perform CPR.”
Ms Veale has four children, boys aged 14, 13 and six, and a girl aged eight.
She added: “I lost my Dad to Covid last February. I’m not superstitious, but it was like something said ‘it’s not your time to go’.
“If it was not for them I would not be here.”
Ms Veale was saved by Tania Follett, the managing director of Empire Security Solutions Ltd, and security staff member Mark East, aged 53.
Ms Follett, also aged 53, from Sindlesham said: “I’m really proud of my staff in what was a difficult night.
“We want people to feel safe, and hopefully my company performs that for people.
“We’ve been running security there for 22 years, me and my staff are 100 per cent on health and safety and first aid.”
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Ms Follett explained that her and her team have performed CPR before.
She added: “A lot of the incidents we get are people falling over, so we monitor people quite well.
“But unfortunately people do have underlying conditions.
“Mark is a medic, he’s a great guy. We decided to get the defibrillator as we were unhappy with her stats and how she was looking.
“The defibrillator told us to perform CPR.
“Defibrillators should be everywhere because they are life saving, and more people and children should be trained to use them.”
Praising her staff and expressing happiness that Laura has been saved, Ms Follett said: “My staff are brilliant, we’re all part of a big team.
“Things got quite emotional, but it was a great thing for us to do.
“I’m really pleased that Laura’s doing well, it’s great that she got to spend Christmas with her children.”
Ms Veale said the medical episode was triggered due to an issue with her pacemaker implant, which was fitted in February 2017.
She explained: “I was told the batteries last for three to four years, but because of Covid I have not had a check in the past two years.
“I didn’t realise the battery had gone. Because the pacemaker did not kick in I collapsed.
“Other door staff called paramedics who took me away, and I’ve been referred back to cardiology.”
She is now receiving medical care from her doctors and medical staff at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and Frimley Park Hospital.
The incident happened on Saturday, December 11, 2021.
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