Resusci Anne: 'My father invented the CPR dummy after I nearly drowned'

This is the fascinating story behind Resusci Anne, the world’s first life-saving resuscitation dummy, invented after the creator's son had a near death experience...

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

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.

(Picture: Åsmund Lærdal and Resusci Anne. Credit: Lærdal Medical/Getty Images)