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José María Corbacho on duty in Gaucín. SUR
Hero's quick reaction helps save life of delivery driver who suffered a heart attack in Gaucín
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Hero's quick reaction helps save life of delivery driver who suffered a heart attack in Gaucín

José María Corbacho loaded the Correos employee into his police car and rushed him took him to where the nearest ambulance was

Irene Quirante

Malaga

Wednesday, 6 September 2023, 12:32

A quick-thinking local police worker leapt into action and helped save the life of a Correos delivery driver who suffered a heart attack while doing his rounds in the village of Gaucín in Malaga province's Serranía de Ronda area.

The 55-year-old was delivering parcels on Monday 4 September when he started to feel unwell and a strong pressure in his chest, as well as pain in his arm. José María Corbacho, who has been working as a municipal security officer for 17 years, was passing through the area at the time when he was alerted by several local residents.

"They had sat him on a chair on a terrace and when I saw him I realised that he was pale, very white; I touched him and he was very cold," Corbacho told SUR. The officer sensed the man might be suffering a heart attack. "The first few minutes are key in that situation and I thought that if I called the ambulance, which has to come from another municipality, I would lose time that could be decisive," he said.

The officer rushed to the local medical centre, and reported the situation and took a doctor and a nurse in his police vehicle to where the patient was.

The quick reaction was key

Corbacho then contacted the ambulance service, and coordinated a meeting place. "I put the man in the patrol car and the paramedics, who thank God were with us, and we transferred him to where the ambulance was waiting," he said.

They met at Puerto del Espino, in Algatocín, where the sick man was transferred by the ambulance to the Hospital de la Serranía de Ronda, and then to the Hospital Clínico de Malaga.

"Everything happened very quickly, that's what I tried to do because the man was in very bad shape; we were able to gain ten or 15 minutes that could be key to saving a life," Corbacho said.

The next day, the hero said he was "immensely happy" to hear that the condition of the delivery driver had stabilised. He was even more excited to receive a message from the Correos employee himself, who contacted him as soon as he felt better. "He told me that he wanted to see me and that he owed me a hug,"Corbacho said. "I can't even describe the satisfaction of knowing that he is well," he added.

Gaucín has two local police officers and two municipal security guards who work as assistants to the officers.

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