Blythe Bridge heroine who saved boy, 12, 'just doing her job'

AN OFF-DUTY paramedic who saved the life of a 12-year-old boy has come forward – after reading about her heroism in The Sentinel.

Debbie Preece was driving home from a night shift when she came across a two-car crash in Meir Heath.

The 35-year-old emergency medical technician rushed to the aid of the seven casualties – despite having just a torch and bandages.

But just moments later, Debbie was holding together schoolboy Jake Tharme's face after his head had smashed through the passenger window of his mum's car following the impact.

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Debbie, of Blythe Bridge, described the scene on October 28 as a 'catastrophe'.

The North West Ambulance Service worker said: "I don't normally drive that way home but on this particular night one of the roads had been closed off.

"I was driving along when I just saw a mass of devastation."

Debbie pulled up and changed into her hi-visibility jacket before grabbing some medical gloves, a roll of bandage and a torch.

Among the injured was Jake, his 33-year-old mum Sharon, nine-year-old sister Amelia and baby brother Mason.

Debbie, who has worked for the service for three years, said: "Jake was the priority because he was unconscious. He had lots of blood on his face, it was a real mess and I had to break the window to get in.

"There wasn't a lot of light along that road but I knew I had to stay with Jake because I honestly don't think he would have survived if I would have left him."

Debbie managed to patch-up Jake's face before ambulance crews arrived.

She added: "The whole thing was really surreal, obviously I deal with things like this on a day-to-day basis but I normally have a truck full of equipment and a lot more light so I just had to do my best.

"Sometimes all you need to do is just be there and talk to someone and calm them down. I would like to think anyone else would have done the same thing."

Sharon and her family had not known the name of the off-duty paramedic and came forward to publicly thank her in Thursday's Sentinel.

Debbie added: "When I saw the story in The Sentinel I was just so relieved to see that they were all OK.

"I rang the hospital afterwards to check but all I knew is that they were alive.

"I deal with things like this every day but don't expect recognition because it is my job. I am just so pleased everyone is doing well."

Jake needed hundreds of stitches following the crash and spent five days in hospital.

Sharon, of Stafford, who was driving home from Breathe City Church, in Hanley, at the time of the collision, said: "Debbie was brilliant with us all at the time.

"We can't thank her enough."