“Guys, this is life or death,” explained paramedic Marvin Mora Zamora from the Red Cross of Nicoya, as he demonstrated how to verify if someone is breathing after an accident and how to open the person’s airway.  During a 3-hour discussion with audience participation on Thursday, March 15th, Mora taught about a dozen members of the Samara community about first aid, including how to assess the status of the injured person, how to stop bleeding and how to perform the Heimlich maneuver or CPR when necessary.

Paramedic Marvin Mora Zamora demonstrates how to assess if someone is conscious after an accident.

Mora explained that when someone’s heart stops, they have about 15 minutes to resuscitate, but the first five minutes are the most critical; because of distance and travel time in this zone, an ambulance might not get there in time, but a person nearby who knows what to do just might be able to save a life. 

The free first aid seminars are being organized by Samara’s chamber of tourism, CASATUR.  Red Cross’s participation in offering such training in Samara is a significant achievement since Samara doesn’t currently have its own Red Cross station and must depend on the Nicoya Red Cross, located about 45 minutes away. Marco Carmona, president of CASATUR, said they hope to have a Red Cross station in Samara within a couple of years, and in the meantime they plan to organize more training sessions. 
   
The first aid seminar will be held two more times in Villas Playa Samara beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 22 or March 29.  To sign up, contact Deborah Nezil at [email protected] or 2656-0153.     

“By offering it three different days, it allows more people to participate,” Nezil commented.  “We are hoping that [Red Cross] will see a good response and a real need in our community to offer us more in-depth first aid instruction in the future.”