A heroic barmaid has been praised for saving the life of a customer who collapsed with a suspected heart attack.
The man, in his 40s, had been drinking in Buckie’s Pub in the Square on Saturday when he suddenly lost consciousness.
Amid the panic, assistant manager Lynda Murray put her first aid training to use by performing CPR for almost 10 minutes while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
Her boss, John Russell, believes the man – who was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary – would not have left the bar alive if not for Ms Murray.
Mr Russell, who runs five hotels and pubs from Thurso to Buckie under the Highland Travel Inns Ltd banner, has since viewed CCTV footage of the incident.
He described the customer as showing “no signs of distress” before collapsing.
Mr Russell added: “The man walked a couple of feet to the bar to get served, and went down without clutching his chest or anything like that.
“We offer all of our staff first aid training, and thankfully Lynda put those skills to good use and performed CPR until the paramedics arrived.
“I am very proud of her, she really was the hero of the hour.
“By all accounts, if it hadn’t been for her then the gentleman would not be alive.”
Mr Russell added that Ms Murray was “very shaken” afterwards and was given some days off to get over the ordeal.
Dozens of revellers, many of whom had been staging early Christmas celebrations, were evacuated from the bar as police arrived and feared the worst.
It is understood that the man technically died, but was shocked back into life by paramedics using a defibrillator.
Upon Ms Murray’s suggestion, pub staff are now planning a fundraising drive to install one of the devices outside the pub, which would be available to the community as well.
Staff say they hope to buy a model worth £1,700, which comes in its own secure box to prevent vandalism.
A spokesman for the ambulance service added: “We dispatched one ambulance to the scene which arrived within eight minutes.
“One male patient in his 40s was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.”
The pub remained closed from Saturday night until Monday.
