Cornwall air ambulance’s critical care team treated a shopper who collapsed inside Truro’s Marks & Spencer store on Monday morning.
Emergency services received a call just after 10.30am, reporting that a man had collapsed. The South Western Ambulance Service and Devon and Cornwall Police have been unable to confirm the patient’s condition.
Two ambulances were sent to the scene on Lemon Quay, along with the air ambulance critical care team.
The A39 was initially closed by police at 11am to allow the air ambulance to land, but was swiftly reopened after it was not required.
Traffic was backed up in the Fairmantle Street and Trafalgar Roundabout directions.
Cornwall Live reporter Olivier Vergnault was at the scene, and reported that paramedics were performing CPR on the patient.
He said: “Four paramedics were in M&S. They cordoned off one area of the shop upstairs and three police officers are standing guard.
“Paramedics are performing CPR on a customer. There are two ambulances and two police cars outside.
“Shoppers inside seem to be completely unaware.”
Nick Cuthbert, a Big Issue vendor outside M&S, witnessed the emergency services arriving: “Two ambulances started arriving at about 10.50am. Then the police closed the A39 and the air ambulance started circling above. I think it must have landed somewhere because two more paramedics in red ran into the store. It must be really serious.”
Olivier added: “The racks of clothes used to screen off the incident as paramedics carried out CPR have been put back, and the shop is back to normal.
“A police officer said he could not confirm any more, and would not say whether the person in question is out of trouble. It is not clear if the patient has been taken into an ambulance, but paramedics and doctors are leaving the store.”
Paramedics left the scene at just before noon. It was around this time that the A39 was reopened.
A spokesperson for the ambulance service added: “Paramedics were called to M&S Truro after a patient collapsed at just after 10.30am.
“Resources sent were two ambulances and the air ambulance critical care team.”
A spokesman from the Cornwall Air Ambulance said: "The air ambulance attended an incident in Truro after a patient collapsed at just after 10.30am. SWASFT paramedics also attended.
"Due to the sensitive nature of this call this is now over to police for further enquiries."
A police spokesperson added that their role was to close the A39 for the landing of the air ambulance. No one from the M&S store commented on the incident.
The ambulance service and the police have been unable to confirm the man’s condition.
