Students practise resuscitation in Braunau flash mob

About 500 students from two Austrian and three Bavarian schools took part in a resuscitation flash mob in Braunau’s city square on Tuesday, ORF reported. The event highlighted the importance of starting first aid immediately when someone suffers cardiac arrest.

First responders can save lives and reduce long-term damage while waiting for emergency services to arrive. Last year, there were 71.6 resuscitations per 100,000 residents, but bystanders began resuscitation in only about half of the cases.

The average wait for emergency services was six minutes and 40 seconds. “Without resuscitation by first responders, this elapsed time leads to severe brain damage and low survival rates,” said Florian Neuhierl, head of anaesthesia at St Josef Hospital in Braunau.

Under the slogan “Don’t hesitate, push! Only helping helps!”, the students practised correct resuscitation for an hour at 60 stations. The Red Cross organised the event.