Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Heroes save bowler’s life
Heroic members of an Airdrie bowling club who saved the life of a visiting player have told how using the village’s public defibrillator played a vital role in their successful first aid efforts.
Angus Cameron and fellow Calderbank players Ian Thomson and Betty Gaines quickly came to the aid of visiting player Tom Love when he collapsed during a friendly match earlier in the season.
With Angus immediately carrying out lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Ian called 999 for an ambulance and was given the code to access the defibrillator, which was swiftly fetched by Betty from its location at the neighbouring community centre.
Tom, 80, is now recovering well at home and has been back to the club to thank the quick-thinking trio – and they in turn are supporting a Bowls Scotland project to ensure more clubs have similar expertise and equipment on hand for any similar incidents across the country in future.
Angus put into practice the first aid skills he had regularly learned and updated throughout his career as a senior construction site manager, saying: “It’s amazing how things come back.
“You think you’ll forget your training, but you don’t.
“I’d been having bit of banter during the game with Tom, who’s a great character; I’d then walked halfway down the green and when I turned back a second later, he was lying on his back and his lips had turned blue.
“First I put him in the recovery position to keep his airway clear, but when there was no response, I put him on his back and started CPR, while Ian phoned 999 for an ambulance.”
The operator gave him the code to open the case for the defibrillator, so Betty went to get it – fortunately it’s right next door so she had it in two or three minutes, and it was what made the breakthrough.”
Angus, who retired eight months ago, said: “I did first aid courses at work every three years.
“I’d never had to do CPR or use a defibrillator before, but followed the instructions to deliver the shocks with it, and that was the difference in getting a rhythm.
“Doing CPR is quite taxing – I did it for about 25 minutes until the paramedics arrived and Tom was stable enough to go to hospital in the ambulance.
“He’s since been down a couple of times and we’ve seen him at Springwells and Coatdyke and blethered away.
“He remembers nothing about what happened and
can’t thank us enough, but we’re just glad we were there to help.
“At the time it was quite traumatic and it wasn’t a nice thing to happen, but we’re really pleased that he’s on the mend.”
Tom’s grateful family have thanked Angus, Ian and Betty for their actions, saying: “Not all superheroes wear capes.”
Calderbank’s defibrillator – which was installed in loving memory of Monklands Hospital nurse Alison Clark, who died suddenly in 2016 – is now back in place on Main Street after being refreshed and recharged for future use.
Angus, who has been a member at his home area’s bowling club for 50 years, said: “Bowls Scotland is now raising awareness of how clubs can go about getting a defibrillator and asking about first aid training.
“Taylor Wimpey, where I worked, had defibrillators on each site and then when the work was finished, they’d donate it to the nearest school or community group.”
More than 100 bowling clubs across Scotland have already completed the governing body’s survey about their local availability of first aiders and defibrillators.
A Bowls Scotland spokesperson said: “We would like to wish Tom a speedy and healthy recovery from this traumatic incident and commend Angus for his undoubtedly life-saving actions.
“This remarkable story will trigger conversations around the need for defibrillator and first aid training.”