STITCH IN TIME SAVES A LIFE
Defibrillator saves life just 24 hours after being donated to local services
EMERGENCY service volunteers received a donation of essential new kit just 24 hours before putting the defibrillator into service and saving a driver’s life following an accident.
The Civil Protection team based in Benidoleig – currently keeping a watch over several villages in the Orba Valley – put in its own SOS for the replacement equipment 10 days earlier. It received the machine last Friday and went into action on Saturday.
Old friends and supporters at the Moraira Charity Shop and the Masonic Home of Valencia Association had immediately agreed to buy the €1,500 defibrillator and are delighted it was able to make such a timely intervention.
The Civil Protection volunteers were called to an incident near to the village’s caves on Saturday when an 83-year-old motorist veered off the road – passengers immediately calling for help.
Simon Lunn, the team’s coordinator, said at first everyone thought it was just a matter of waiting for a tow truck, the driver had been sat in the back to get over the shock.
“He just went over and had a cardiac arrest in front of us – it was so lucky we were there,” he said. “I didn’t think he was right from the moment he got there, his blood pressure was OK but his heart rate was low.
Hospital
“He just went there and then. We were able to use the machine and keep him going until an ambulance arrived. He is still in hospital, awake and talking but waiting for an operation.”
He said the original defibrillator was five years old and retired after a series of repairs 'basically it had packed up so we called for help'. It was also donated via the same route and Simon thanked the dedicated support of the charity shop and the association it funds.
Jenny Hart, president of the Masonic Home of Valencia Association, said it was an 'absolutely wonderful' chain of events. “You cannot believe it, it makes all our work worthwhile.”
She said Simon had called her saying the original machine was broken and could the charity again help. “I said ‘yes, go ahead and order it, and we will pay’ – he sent a photo of it and said it had arrived".
“Then he sent another message saying this guy has suffered a heart attack and they had saved his life with this machine.”
And Jenny said her own team were proud to be one of the biggest sponsors of the Benidoleig Civil Protection having helped it purchase two vehicles and ancillary equipment.