YOUNGSTER Patrick Woods put his first aid skills to the test when a skateboarder suffered a broken leg in Watchet.

The 11-year-old grandson of Watchet couple Vincent and Rosemary Woods lives in Wells but was visiting family in West Somerset when the incident happened.

Patrick was at the skatepark with his brother Harry and grandmother Rosemary when he realised the teenager had been injured.

And he wasted no time in putting the training received through his involvement with St John Ambulance to good use.

As the only first aider on the scene and the only trained person to come forward to help, he immediately carried out an initial assessment.

Realising that the teenager's leg was broken, he stabilised it and called for an ambulance.

He then monitored the boy's condition until paramedics arrived to take him to hospital.

Patrick has been involved with St John Ambulance since he was five years old, joining the charity as one of its 'Badgers' and moving up to the City of Wells Cadet Unit when he was ten.

During that time he has been trained not only in first aid but has also developed other skills, including communication and teamwork.

And his father Gerard, who is Commissioner Operations for St John Ambulance in Somerset, is now calling on other young people to follow Patrick's example and sign up to learn life saving first aid skills.

"I am very proud of Patrick and what he did," he said.

"It goes to show that you never know where and when you may need to use first aid.

"Unfortunately, not enough people know first aid - up to 150,000 people a year die in situations where first aid could have given them a chance to live.

"But 58 per cent of people say they wouldn't know what to do if faced with a situation like Patrick was.

"I would love to see more young people and adults follow his example and learn first aid skills that can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved."

Patrick, who does not know what happened to the skateboarder and is keen to find out how he is doing, said he enjoyed being a St John Ambulance cadet.

"It was good to be able to use my first aid skills to help someone who was in so much pain," he said.

"I feel everyone should learn first aid regardless of their age as it's a great skill that everyone should have."

More information about St John Ambulance and volunteering opportunities in Somerset is available on 01287 726740 or at http://www.sja">www.sja. org.uk/somerset.