What would you do if a stranger passed out near you in public?

[Anonymous]

At a grocery store, a library, a restaurant, out on the sidewalk or in a park. Anywhere in public. You happen to be nearby and see a stranger alone fall down and not get back up. What would you do?

Would you try to help them somehow? Just ignore them and continue on? Even try to hurt them like stealing their wallet?

Would the circumstances make a big difference too? Whether other people were also nearby, whether it was at daytime or nighttime, whether the stranger was dressed nicely or poorly, was a man or woman, etc.

[msc545]

If it was a man I would call 911 and stay with him and administer CPR if needed until help arrived.

If it was a woman I would call 911 and keep walking. I would not want to get in trouble (arrested or sued) for touching her.

[Asker]

Well you don't put hands on the breasts to perform CPR, but I understand the worry. Apparently women are more likely to die in situations like this because so many people are scared or don't know how to give them CPR.

[msc545]

I wasn't considering where I would need to put my hands on a hypothetical woman but rather that I would need to touch her at all. That in and of itself could lead to legal trouble and unless she was a friend of mine, I certainly would not take that risk.

[DryGermanGuy]

The same I did the other five or six times, I call the police and report a helpless person.

[FunkyMonkee]

Try to get help.

[Anonymous]

Call 911 and keep walking.