Free first aid course takes just one hour

According to the charity too few people know basic first aid or how to operate a defibrillator; as a result only 8% of victims of major heart attacks survive in France compared to 40% in Sweden where the population is trained in first aid.

The Eté qui sauve (summer life saving) scheme includes 60-minute first aid courses (30 minutes for children) and a 50-minute course on reducing risks in disaster situations.

Training sessions are on offer daily at Paris Plages on the banks of the Seine and at the La Villette Canal Basin; elsewhere people should contact local branches for details (see croix-rouge.fr/Pres-de-chez-vous).