Cate Talaue (left) was saved from choking thanks to the quick actions of Goodman School of Business student Melissa Trapani (right)
You have likely read about the life-saving actions of Goodman School of Business student Melissa Trapani in Brock News and in the St. Catharines Standard. With her quick thinking and lifeguard training, she was able to rescue fellow student Cate Talaue in an emergency incident last month. Melissa talks about the experience in our “Five Questions With…” series.
When did you get trained on the Heimlich manoeuvre?
I have been in swimming lessons my whole life and starting at around age 7, the class was taught the basics of life saving. Since I continued swimming lessons, and all the life-saving programs, I managed to become a lifeguard as soon as I turned 16 (the minimum age to become a lifeguard). I did most of my initial qualifications at the YMCA in St. Catharines and worked there for one year in 2010. I now re-cert all my qualifications at Brock University.
Near the end of 2010 my mom found a job fair at Great Wolf Lodge. I had never been there before so I was a bit nervous to go from such a small pool at the YMCA to a whole water park. The staff and I clicked immediately and I continued to work there for 4 years. Great Wolf Lodge really pushed every month for the employees to review their skills, ask any questions, and practice. I guess you can say the saying “practice makes perfect” really does stand true in this case. Last September I left Great Wolf Lodge in order to pursue teaching swimming lessons for the City of St. Catharines at the Kiwanis Center. It truly is a change in pace as I am now teaching, life guarding, and being a deck guard. We rotate every 15 minutes which helps the time go by a lot faster! We also have monthly training, just like Great Wolf Lodge, which really grinds the information and skills into our minds.
What was going through your mind when you rushed to help Cate?
When I first heard Cate cough, I didn’t think anything of it. Once I saw her and her friend stand up I figured I would stand up and start walking towards her just to be safe. I thought more people would try to jump in to help, since she was clearly in distress, but apparently everyone just stared. Once I was about one step away from her, the sound stopped – which proved that she had an obstructed airway. I kept thinking “please, just keep coughing” on my way over to her, but once the sound stopped and she did the international sign of choking (two hands around her neck, shaking her head) I knew it was time to step in.
The two main things going through my mind while doing the back blows and Heimlich manoeuvre was “get this girl to breathe again” and “don’t call the ambulance”. I kept thinking “don’t call the ambulance” since standard procedure for coughing states that you do not call 911 until the person in distress goes unconscious. I can honestly say that all the practice and programs that I took throughout the years really paid off with Cate.
Even people who have been trained may hesitate to take action sometimes in an emergency situation – what advice can you offer to these people?
Don’t get me wrong, my adrenaline was pumping like crazy, but it was a matter of taking a deep breath and just doing it. I never thought I would be in a position where I would actually have to put my skills to work, but you never know what situation you will be put in. I have always had a routine of taking a deep breath before doing something stressful, like an exam or a sports competition, and for some reason it just felt natural to take a deep breath before going into the back blows. Great Wolf Lodge made it clear when I was there that “if you mess up the first time, you can correct it the second time.” Joe Veltman, an ex-manager of Great Wolf Lodge would always tell me this and it stuck to me throughout the process of helping Cate.
Ultimately, someone has to take the initiative when it comes to a lifesaving situation… and if you know how to help someone, why not do it. In my case, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and knew she needed help. My advice to those who may hesitate is to take a deep breath and don’t be afraid to help, you may need it someday.
What can people who have not been trained on life-saving techniques do in an emergency situation to play a helpful role?
If someone is not trained in first aid, CPR, or any life-saving practices, they can always help the friends, or relatives of the person in distress. In the situation that took place with Cate, her friend was sitting at the table with her when it happened. I’m not too sure what he was doing, or how he was feeling, but it would have been nice if someone could tell the friend that everything would be okay and ask him questions about Cate. If Cate were to have gone unconscious (thank goodness she didn’t) all information about her would have had to been known, and the sooner the information is received, the better assessment can be done by the life-saver in what action should be done next.
What has been your most memorable moment at the Goodman School of Business so far?
I am a third year business administration student and up until this year, I didn’t participate in any clubs, sports, or any other extracurricular activities. Although rescuing Cate will always be something that I will look back at, doing 5 Days for the Homeless made the largest impact in my university experience (so far). A lot of people have recognized me for saving Cate’s life, but I think of it as something that I was obligated to do – I was in the right place at the right time, and I’m very happy that I was there to help her… but Five Days for the Homeless has been the most memorable so far since I learned so much from this campaign and had the opportunity to meet and become friends with so many people. I will be doing it again next year and hopefully raise even more awareness for youth homelessness.
