Nurse praises great team who saved a cyclist’s life
A Whakata¯ne nurse has praised the actions of a great team which came together to save a life at O¯ hope beach on Saturday.
Brigit Billings was at West End beach on Sunday afternoon when she heard a crash. She was later told a cyclist was circling the park when he braked to avoid a reversing car.
The cyclist went over his handle bars and collided with the car.
“I rushed over and, at that stage, he was conscious and talking with us. I immediately asked someone to call 111 and then realised the man’s pulse had stopped and he was turning grey.”
Billings drew on her 20 years of nursing experience and began chest compressions. “He came around and we put him into the recovery position but he arrested again and again he had no pulse.”
CPR was resumed by members of the public who had come to help, and Billings asked for someone to collect the defibrillator at the nearby Whakata¯ne Surf Life Saving Club.
“There were a couple of big, burly guys there and they always encourage people to get a man to carry out chest compressions simply because, most times, they are stronger.”
When the defibrillator arrived, along with surf club members competing at a carnival at O¯ hope beach, the group had managed to get a pulse.
Billings placed the defibrillator pads on the man’s chest.
“The surf club guys also started administering oxygen and helped with CPR. The oxygen definitely helped bring back some colour.”
Billings said CPR was carried out for about 15 minutes until emergency services arrived.
“Shortly after I got to the man’s side, another nurse, an anaesthetist technician, a trainee doctor and even a dentist showed up.”
She was particularly pleased with the number of people who knew CPR.
“The fact that all these people had taken the time to learn how to save a life, that’s impressive.”
A Bay of Plenty DHB spokesman said the man was transferred to Middlemore Hospital on Sunday.