First aid charity praises life savers for their quick thinking

Defibrillator from the Farncombe estate restarts man’s heart

St John Ambulance is urging more organisations to provide defibrillators after a dramatic rescue effort saved the life of a cyclist in Worcestershire.

The man, who was part of a group believed to be on the return leg of a journey from Swindon to Broadway, collapsed as he was cycling along the A44 Fish Hill on March 29.

Luckily for him, friends Katie Nightingale and Gemma Guedes had taken a wrong turn on a journey from Katie’s home in South Littleton to Dover’s Hill.

Katie and Gemma, who both used to work at the nearby Farncombe Estate, remembered there were several Automated Defibrillators (AEDs) there and immediately volunteered to drive the two miles from the scene to fetch one.

Katie explained: ‘We had been talking about where to go for a walk and couldn’t decide when I suggested Dover’s Hill. It’s not somewhere I had been before and I missed a turn on the road.

‘I drove up the road to turn around and we passed the cyclists as they were coming up a hill. We turned around and headed back down, and Gemma said she thought one of them had fallen off. As we got closer we could see one of the group was being given Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation by a fellow rider.’

For each minute that passes without defibrillation to restart someone’s heart, the chances of survival fall by up to 10 per cent.

Katie, the former reservations manager at Farncombe, remembered the estate had several Automated External Defibrillators.

‘I shouted that I knew where there was an AED and should I fetch it, to which they said yes. We got in the car and Gemma called ahead to Farncombe to ask if we could use it.’

They drove the two miles to the estate’s Lodge where Tony Haines, a security supervisor at Farncombe, was waiting. As an experienced St John Ambulance volunteer, Tony travelled back with them to see if he could help

Tony said: ‘When I got there, one of the cyclists – a GP – was still giving the man CPR in the middle of the road so I explained I was a first aider and could assist. We gave the man a couple of shocks and his heart restarted. Within a few minutes he was talking – it was amazing.’

The man, who is believed to be in his late 40s or 50s, was taken to the Worcester Royal Infirmary’s coronary care unit.

Tony said he was delighted that an AED from Farncombe had proved worthwhile.

‘It was very lucky for him that Katie and Gemma were there and knew where an AED was situated. It does go to show that you never know when an AED could be needed. This man may not be alive if it wasn’t for their local knowledge.

‘This incident just goes to show what a difference an AED can make and I would urge as many organisations as possible to have one on hand in case of emergency.’

Tim Rose, Estates Manager at Farncombe , said: ‘”I was delighted that we were able to help in this dramatic situation. We have invested in three defibrillators around the Estate and at Dormy House Hotel.

“We are  about to train 30 members of staff in how to use the AEDs in case of future emergencies.”