A VOLUNTEER St John Ambulance first aider from Trowbridge was reunited yesterday with an injured cyclist who he stopped to help after an accident.

Paul Mutton, 35, was driving to work in Bath, on the morning of April 28, when he spotted Paul Flurry lying in the road at a roundabout on the northern outskirts of Trowbridge.

“I could see that he’d come off his bike and I didn’t really think about it – I saw no one else had stopped to help, so I pulled into a pub car park, grabbed the first aid kit I always have in the car with me, and ran over to see what I could do,” said Mr Mutton.

“Other drivers were trying to get past, instead of stopping, but I had the knowledge and equipment to try and help. I assessed the situation – there was blood and I was worried he might have had head, neck, or spinal injuries.

“He had banged his head quite badly and it was bleeding, so I bandaged him up and reassured him everything was going to be ok.

“A van driver had phoned the emergency services and I spoke to them on the phone, then talked the ambulance crew through what I’d done when they arrived and took Mr Flurry to hospital.”

Mr Mutton, who has been a volunteer with St John Ambulance’s Melksham Unit for four years and works as a security researcher with Netcraft, added: “I was just in the right place at the right time and I’m happy I was able to help.”

While Mr Flurry didn’t get Mr Mutton’s name at the time, the first aider was wearing his St John Ambulance polo shirt as he was going to train a group of the charity’s young volunteers after work.

That led to him contacting the charity to say thank you and track down the Good Samaritan who had stopped and helped him, with the two men meeting up at the scene of the accident on Monday.

Mr Flurry, who is also from Trowbridge, said: “I cannot thank Paul enough for what he did on the day.

“Considering he was simply a passer-by, the fact that he stopped and administered immediate care to my visible wounds and offered me comfort by talking calmly to me was priceless and showed he is truly dedicated to first aid and St John Ambulance.

“Once the paramedics arrived, Paul’s actions make him standout as he obtained details from the driver for me and even took some photos at the scene.

“He also helped to secure my badly damaged bicycle to some posts before leaving. Paul is a shining example to St John Ambulance and a compassionate human being.”

For more information on St John Ambulance’s work, including how to become a volunteer, visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.