Brave couple's heroic act: How they 'saved the life' of a Kmart security officer after an alleged attack
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Many would agree that there is nothing more heartwarming than a story of selfless heroism.
And that’s exactly what happened recently when a young couple at a Sunshine Coast shopping centre swooped into action and became real-life heroes.
A Queensland security guard’s life was saved by bystanders after she was allegedly attacked while on duty on Sunday at a shopping centre on the Sunshine Coast.
According to the details of the investigation, emergency services were called to Sunshine Plaza at around 11:20 am on Sunday after incoming reports stated that a 39-year-old woman had been assaulted just outside Kmart.
Police allege that Coco Joyce Bishop-Hewitt, the 24-year-old suspect, left the retail store without paying for the clothing she still had in her trolley.
An employee from the store and a security guard approached Bishop-Hewitt, presumably to question her, when she allegedly assaulted the security guard.
It is believed that while trying to detain the alleged thief, Bishop-Hewitt head-butted the security guard multiple times. Due to the intensity of the alleged assault, the woman went into cardiac arrest.
While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, bystanders and staff took the lead in performing CPR and using a defibrillator, including a local couple.
Jack Harris said he ‘jumped in’ together with a couple of other people to perform CPR and first aid.
‘And screaming for the defib,’ Kiana Beri, his partner, chimed in.
‘Had we not been there, had we walked on...who knows. But I truly believe he (her partner) saved her life,’ she continued.
Thanks to the young couple’s vigilance, they were able to provide first aid using a public access defibrillator. This device was first trialled by St John Ambulance Victoria late last year, following reports that over 26,000 Australians experience out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) each year, with almost nine in ten of these patients not surviving.
It is also widely known that receiving defibrillation significantly increases survival rates from cardiac arrest to 50 per cent. When used together with CPR in the first three to four minutes of a crisis, the survival rate increases to 70 per cent.
However, in Australia, less than 2 per cent of OHCA cases receive defibrillation by a bystander. It is believed that this is likely because access to public defibrillators is limited. To combat this, South Australia introduced legislation to have public defibrillators in various public spaces.
This makes South Australia the first state or territory in the country, and one of the few in the world, to have this kind of legislation.
A Queensland Ambulance spokesperson shared that the witnesses likely saved the woman’s life with the help of a publicly accessible defibrillator.
According to their reports, when the critical care paramedics arrived at the scene six minutes after being called, the security officer was conscious. She was immediately taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital for ‘head injuries’ while remaining in critical condition.
It is believed that the woman’s condition has now improved, and she is in stable condition.
Authorities managed to locate the alleged thief in the car park shortly after the incident had taken place.
Bishop-Hewitt is now facing one count of robbery with violence and one count of stealing. She faced the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday after filing for bail. Her application was denied.
She was brought back into police custody, and her case was adjourned to June 30.
Damien Davie, a United Workers Union Coordinator, said that the attack was a ‘terrible incident’, but that they were not surprised by it.
‘Unfortunately, we weren't shocked. We have these sorts of incidents happening almost on a weekly basis. All too often now, security guards are getting assaulted in the line of duty,’ he explained.
The coordinator also shared that security guards are often asked to patrol areas alone.
‘Security guards are often asked to patrol and confront offenders as individuals, whereas the police patrol in pairs, and they don't attend situations without backup,’ he told reporters.
He continued: ‘That's not the case with security officers, and they're doing it for less than $25 an hour. It's outrageous.’
Davie also called for more police to patrol larger shopping centres to help alleviate pressures from security guards.
‘Shopping centres rely on security guards to pick up the slack where police aren't there. Security guards shouldn't be a substitute for the work that police should be doing,’ he stated.
Have you ever been in a similar situation and had to help someone who was in distress? Tell us about it in the comment section below!
And that’s exactly what happened recently when a young couple at a Sunshine Coast shopping centre swooped into action and became real-life heroes.
A Queensland security guard’s life was saved by bystanders after she was allegedly attacked while on duty on Sunday at a shopping centre on the Sunshine Coast.
According to the details of the investigation, emergency services were called to Sunshine Plaza at around 11:20 am on Sunday after incoming reports stated that a 39-year-old woman had been assaulted just outside Kmart.
A 39-year-old security guard was allegedly assaulted while on duty at a shopping centre. Credit: Kindel Media/Pexels
Police allege that Coco Joyce Bishop-Hewitt, the 24-year-old suspect, left the retail store without paying for the clothing she still had in her trolley.
An employee from the store and a security guard approached Bishop-Hewitt, presumably to question her, when she allegedly assaulted the security guard.
It is believed that while trying to detain the alleged thief, Bishop-Hewitt head-butted the security guard multiple times. Due to the intensity of the alleged assault, the woman went into cardiac arrest.
While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, bystanders and staff took the lead in performing CPR and using a defibrillator, including a local couple.
Jack Harris said he ‘jumped in’ together with a couple of other people to perform CPR and first aid.
‘And screaming for the defib,’ Kiana Beri, his partner, chimed in.
‘Had we not been there, had we walked on...who knows. But I truly believe he (her partner) saved her life,’ she continued.
Thanks to the young couple’s vigilance, they were able to provide first aid using a public access defibrillator. This device was first trialled by St John Ambulance Victoria late last year, following reports that over 26,000 Australians experience out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) each year, with almost nine in ten of these patients not surviving.
Have you seen one in public before? Image credit: The Seniors Discount Club
It is also widely known that receiving defibrillation significantly increases survival rates from cardiac arrest to 50 per cent. When used together with CPR in the first three to four minutes of a crisis, the survival rate increases to 70 per cent.
However, in Australia, less than 2 per cent of OHCA cases receive defibrillation by a bystander. It is believed that this is likely because access to public defibrillators is limited. To combat this, South Australia introduced legislation to have public defibrillators in various public spaces.
This makes South Australia the first state or territory in the country, and one of the few in the world, to have this kind of legislation.
The young couple recalled the critical moment they and other bystanders ‘saved’ the security guard’s life. Credit: Mikhail Nilov/Pexels
A Queensland Ambulance spokesperson shared that the witnesses likely saved the woman’s life with the help of a publicly accessible defibrillator.
According to their reports, when the critical care paramedics arrived at the scene six minutes after being called, the security officer was conscious. She was immediately taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital for ‘head injuries’ while remaining in critical condition.
It is believed that the woman’s condition has now improved, and she is in stable condition.
Authorities managed to locate the alleged thief in the car park shortly after the incident had taken place.
Bishop-Hewitt is now facing one count of robbery with violence and one count of stealing. She faced the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday after filing for bail. Her application was denied.
She was brought back into police custody, and her case was adjourned to June 30.
Damien Davie, a United Workers Union Coordinator, said that the attack was a ‘terrible incident’, but that they were not surprised by it.
‘Unfortunately, we weren't shocked. We have these sorts of incidents happening almost on a weekly basis. All too often now, security guards are getting assaulted in the line of duty,’ he explained.
The coordinator also shared that security guards are often asked to patrol areas alone.
‘Security guards are often asked to patrol and confront offenders as individuals, whereas the police patrol in pairs, and they don't attend situations without backup,’ he told reporters.
He continued: ‘That's not the case with security officers, and they're doing it for less than $25 an hour. It's outrageous.’
Davie also called for more police to patrol larger shopping centres to help alleviate pressures from security guards.
‘Shopping centres rely on security guards to pick up the slack where police aren't there. Security guards shouldn't be a substitute for the work that police should be doing,’ he stated.
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