Asda heroes praised for pulling together to help elderly customer after fall

Caring colleagues at Asda Larne have been praised for their quick thinking after an elderly customer collapsed in the store.

Tracey Hargey was first to step in when the shopper fainted by the self-scan machines, hitting his head as he fell.

“When one of my colleagues said, ‘I don’t think that man looks alright’, I dropped what I was doing and ran towards him,” recalls Tracey, who has worked at Asda Larne for more than 16 years. “I tried to catch him, but he hit his head on the floor when he fell.”

While other members of the team called an ambulance and took steps to protect the customer’s privacy, first aider Grace Gordon, who works in the chilled department, joined Tracey to make sure the man was comfortable, checking for any other injuries and helping to keep him calm and alert.

Team leader Tracey said: “One of the team knew the customer's sister and was able to get in touch so she arrived with her husband at the same time as the paramedic. Everyone came together so well to make sure the man was looked after, it was very reassuring. In an anxious situation like that, doing what we could to keep him safe and make things as calm as possible was a priority.”

After an initial assessment at the store, the customer was taken to hospital for treatment.

"The good news is, the gentleman has since been back at the store to do his shopping," says Tracey. 

"It’s such a relief to know that he’s doing well. In those moments, it can feel quite nerve-wracking, but we’ll always do what we can to make sure our customers are well cared for.”

Gail Caldwell, Community Champion at Asda Larne, added: “Well done to Tracey, Grace and everyone who played their part. The whole team really pulled together, so I’d like to send a huge thank you to everyone involved for supporting each other when it counts.”