A young woman saved her mother’s life by performing CPR despite having never been trained.

Margaret Curran, 68, from Crossmead, in Watford, had gone to her bedroom for a rest at around 3.30pm on June 26 after complaining that she felt unwell.

Sophie Curran, 28, who shares the house with her mother, went to check on Mrs Curran after hearing unusual snoring noises and found her lifeless on her bed.

She said: “I just ran over and took her off the bed and onto the floor. I’ve never been taught how to do CPR.

"I’ve watched TV programmes, so I suppose I picked things up from there.”

Miss Curran, who is a teacher at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School in Borehamwood, performed the life-saving procedure for 30 minutes before the emergency services arrived.

When the paramedics arrived, they said that if Miss Curran had not of taken her mum off the bed and on to a hard surface to perform CPR she would have died.

Whilst pumping her mum’s heart, she managed to call 999 to call for help.

Just before she was able to provide details of her address the battery went flat.

Terrified that her mum would die, Miss Curran ran into her bedroom to get her phone. Paramedics arrived at around 4pm.

Miss Curran, who was incredibly shaken by the whole ordeal was petrified that she had not performed the CPR right, but the medical team kept telling her that she had given her mum the best chance of survival.

Miss Curran said: “It’s so important that CPR is taught in schools, it’s something that everyone should know.

"I wish I was taught it, but obviously I somehow knew.”

The retired nurse was taken to Watford General Hospital where she was put on life support machine and supplied with an oxygen tank.

Mrs Curran went into intensive care to be tested for brain damage, due to the lack of oxygen, but to the family’s relief she came back clear.

Despite the good news, there were several serious complications during her time in hospital as her heart stopped beating again and the intensive care team resuscitated her.

Her son, John Pedersen, 44, said: “Any medical professional will tell you it is very rare to be successful resuscitating a loved one, and that’s when you are trained, let alone a daughter saving her mum’s life on her own with no training.”

“If it wasn’t for my heroic sister my mum would have died. Mum loves her children so much and wants people to know what an incredible, special and brave act that she did. Mum owes her life to Sophie.”

Mrs Curran, who lives a healthy and active lifestyle, has been diagnosed with Long qt syndrome, a rare and genetic heart condition that affects 1 in every 2,000 people.

Mrs Curran is in recovery at home with her daughter and will be fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator to assist her if her heart stops again.