Firearms officers help provide life-saving medical care in Eastbourne

Two armed response officers were on-hand to provide life-saving care alongside paramedics from the South East Coast Ambulance Service in Eastbourne.

The officers from the Tactical Firearms Unit attended an incident at Eastbourne Pier over concerns for two unconscious men.

The patients were believed to have been in cardiac arrest.

Both TFU officers assisted with CPR treatment, which helped bring the patients out of unconsciousness.

Their intervention was just 15 minutes after they had seized a vehicle that led to the arrest of a wanted drug dealing suspect for a separate incident in the town.

TFU Inspector Oli Fisher said: “This was a serious medical emergency where two men were feared to have gone into cardiac arrest.

“Our firearms officers are not only highly trained in armed response, but also have enhanced first aid skills. The emergency medical care they provide frequently saves lives.

“This incident, as with others, shows the important public safety role our firearms officers carry out.

“The officers demonstrated great professionalism at a difficult scene, and it was even more remarkable for the work they had completed only minutes before.”

The separate incident happened at about 12.15pm in Grand Parade on Tuesday, April 9.

A white BMW was seen travelling by the officers on the A259. The driver was stopped for having no MOT for the vehicle, for not being insured to drive the vehicle and for not having a valid driving licence.

He has been summonsed for driving without valid insurance.

Meanwhile the vehicle was seized by the police under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act.

This required the vehicle owner to later present himself to the police station to recover his vehicle.

When he did so, it was found that he was an outstanding wanted person from 2022 on suspicion of importing class A drugs into the UK, so he was arrested.

Sussex Police can confirm that a 32-year-old man from Tiptree, Essex, was arrested on suspicion of importing a class A drug and has been bailed, pending further enquiries.

Then the TFU officers responded to the medical emergency at Eastbourne Pier at 12.30pm on April 9.

The two men affected were left in the care of the ambulance service.