A woman passenger who survived the Alishan train crash last Saturday that killed 17 people and injured 170 was cited yesterday for her composure and actions that saved the lives of two children.
Wu Li-mei (吳麗梅), 32, was given official recognition at a ceremony held at the Chi Mei Foundation Medical Center (奇美醫學中心) in Yungkang City, Tainan County, where she works in administration.
Wu was aboard the train with her family when the carriages derailed after the brakes linking them to the engine failed.
She performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on five injured passengers, saving the lives of two children.
The woman said that she had been instructed in CPR at the medical center and was grateful that she had the ability to use those skills when it counted.
"If I hadn't learned CPR, I wouldn't have been able to help anyone even if I had wanted to," she said.
Chan Chi-hsien (詹啟賢), president of the Chi Mei medical center, said Wu should be commended for her courage and composure in a chaotic emergency situation.
Chan also said that Chi Mei will continue to offer CPR training courses to all of the hospital's staff.
Medical authorities said less than 10 percent of the public know how to perform CPR, much lower than the average 30 percent to 50 percent among peoples in industrially advanced countries.
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