Resusci Anne: the world’s first life-saving resuscitation dummy

Witness History

In 1960, Norwegian toymaker Åsmund Lærdal began selling his latest invention - a life-size training dummy designed to teach mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Resusci Anne is made of soft plastic and resembles an unconscious person.

Åsmund wanted as many people as possible to be trained in this new method of life saving and he hoped that a female manikin would be less threatening to trainees.

Anne's now believed to have saved the lives of more than two million people around the world.

Jacqueline Paine speaks to Åsmund’s son Tore Lærdal, who explains how his father had been inspired by a near-death experience

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(Photo: Åsmund Lærdal with Resusci Anne in water rescue. Credit: Lærdal Medical)