千葉県松戸市在住の香取宏明さんの活動成果です。（English follows）
以下香取さんのレポートです。
12/10(木) 活動時間 20:30〜22:00 遅めの時間だったので誘導棒を片手にパトロールを意識しながら走っていると、駅の近くの歩道で大の字で倒れている人影を発見。
駆け寄ると、若いお兄さんが110番をして警察を呼んでくれていたので、私は倒れている男性の状況を確認。救急救命講習で習ったとおりに両肩を叩いて意識・呼吸を観察。酒の臭いがプンプンして、泥酔しイビキをかいて爆睡していることを確認した。
救急車を呼ぶ必要があるかを確認するため男性に話しかけてると、ふらふらしながらも頭を上げて起きようとする。路上には血溜まりができており、後頭部がパックリ割れていた。酔っぱらっているので痛みを感じてないのが不幸中の幸い。ただ、もう一度寝かすわけにはいかないので身体を支えながら警察の到着を待つこと10分。警官に状況を伝え、救急車を呼んでもらい引き継いで退散した。
毎日走っていても、事件や事故の現場に居合わせるのは極々稀である。咄嗟のときに躊躇なく身体が動いたのは正直自分でもビックリした。パトランに出会い、会社で救急救命講習を受けていたのが役に立ったのだと思う。
コロナで忘年会は少なめだったが、飲みすぎてしまうのは他人事ではない。困ったときはお互い様。見てみぬふりをせず、ちゃんと動けた自分を褒めてあげたい気持ちになった。
香取さんは地元を中心に街の安全・安心のために、雨の日も風の日も約５年間毎日パトランによる防犯活動をやってくれています。そんな熟練された彼だからこその対応だと言えます。
<English>
“A Case Study in Lifesaving (Hiroaki Katori in Matsudo City)”
This is a report of Hiroaki Katori’s “Patrol Run” activities in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
It was late on a weeknight on December 10th, so as I ran I carried a glowing guide rod and paid extra attention to my surroundings. Then, as I approached the station, I saw a human figure sprawled out on the sidewalk.
When I same closer, a young bystander dialed 110 for the police to get help, so I checked the condition of the person on the ground. As I’d learned in first aid class, I checked whether he was conscious or breathing by wrapping on his shoulders. The smell of alcohol came in waves as he snored. It was easy to tell he was in a deep, drunken sleep.
I began to ask the young bystander whether we should call an ambulance when our patient falteringly raised his head and tried to get up. It was then that I saw the pool of blood on the sidewalk and the open gash at the back of the man’s head. One consolation was that he was too drunk to feel any pain. However I couldn’t just let him fall back to sleep, so I held him up until the police arrived, about 10 minutes later. I told them the story, we entrusted the man to an ambulance when it came, and we all left the scene.
I do Patrol Running every day, but even then being present at an accident or incident is very rare. In all honesty, I surprised even myself when I acted in the moment without hesitation like that. I think starting Patrol Running and having taken first aid training at work really helped.
Year end drinking parties have been fewer this year because of Corona, but over-drinking isn’t something that only happens to other people at such parties. We can help each other when it’s one of us who needs it. I almost want to go back to that version of myself that night and congratulate him for taking responsibility and helping out when it would have been easier to mind my own business.”
Hiroaki has been Patrol Running for about 5 years, contributing to crime prevention and ensuring safer streets, rain or shine nearly every day in his neighborhood. We can say this intensive training is exactly why he acted the way he did that day.
