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Heroic nurse saves blood-soaked boy's life after he was hit by runaway speedboat

 Julie Burkitt was on holiday in Greece when she saw the horrific accident and leapt into the sea to rescue the seven-year-old and perform CPR

 

The highly trained medic, who worked in A&E for 27 years, described how she was enjoying a quiet drink on Tsvilli beach when the unmanned six-seater speedboat came hurtling towards the shore.
She said: “I could not believe what I was seeing, working in A&E you always see the aftermath but never the accident.
“I could see exactly what was about to happen but could do nothing about it and the boat smacked into a seven-year-old Greek child who was swimming near the beach.
“My training took over and I leapt into the sea, taking him from his mother’s arms covered in blood to make sure I could do everything I could to keep him alive.”
Brave Julie, herself a proud mum of eight, performed CPR on the terribly injured boy keeping him alive and later directed local paramedics who arrived at the scene.
The boy, who has not been named, was flown to Athens where he is currently in critical condition.

The accident happened on the Greek island Zante

Julie said: “I was not happy with some of the techniques being used by Greek paramedics, they certainly weren’t up to British standards, so when they eventually got there I had to give them advice while trying to calm everyone down.
“The mum was in hysterics but I managed to soothe her and in the end her family and friends were thanking me for coming to their aid.

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“But that is what I have been trained to do, it was surreal to see it all happen in front of me, but my training just kicked in and I knew I had to help that child.
“All that matters now is that he recovers and everyone is just praying that he does.”

 “It wasn’t just that he’d been injured, he’d been face down in the water for some time. I just kept whispering to him to wake up. I’ve got eight kids myself so it was difficult to see a little child like that.
“At work I’ve got my colleagues around me and all the equipment, but it was just me, on a beach”.
Julie, who worked at Stepping Hill hospital in A&E, is in Zante with her family for her son Kai’s wedding to his fiancee Naomi.

 Julie has kept in touch with family friends of the youngster, who is making a remarkable recovery, thanks in no small part to her swift actions.
After being transferred to Athens, he was treated for severe head and arm injuries and a fractured skull and spent four days in a coma.

He is now about to return home to Zante to continue his recovery.
Julie added: “If I hadn’t been there he would have died. He had no signs of life when I got there.
“I am amazed he’s come through it, after 27 years in A&E I couldn’t believe he survived it”.

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