The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
‘You saved my life’ – thanks goes to sports centre staff
People: Team act quickly after man collapses during spin class at Alford
An Aberdeenshire man has praised the initiative of sports centre staff after they saved his life during an exercise class.
Bruce Harper was taking part in a spin class at Alford Community Campus when he became unwell and collapsed to the ground.
Class instructor Coreen Beange quickly cleared a space around Mr Harper and called for help from the on-site lifeguards. Miss Beange remembers going into “auto-pilot” and putting Mr Harper into the recovery position before she was joined by colleagues Meagan Bowie, Christopher Alderton, Brogan McPherson and Laurence Alderton.
The team started chest compression on Mr Harper, who had stopped breathing, and continued until the paramedics arrived around five minutes later.
Miss Bowie said: “We found Mr Harper was not breathing, so we gave him CPR until the ambulance arrived. The training just kicked in and we all helped each other – I am so glad that he’s all right.”
Alford paramedics Katy McMillan and Derek Adam were nearby when they got the call on March 15 and gave Mr Harper two shocks with their defibrillator to re-start his heart as the prelude to taking him to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Yesterday, the team were commended by the president of the Royal Life Saving Society UK, Ian Hutchings, and presented with certificates of meritorious action.
He described the group as “outstanding”, adding that their quick action saved Mr Harper’s life.
He explained: “When people have a cardiac arrest, they have on average around four to five minutes before brain damage can begin if the blood has stopped pumping around their body.
“The fact that these young people had the courage to act quickly commendable.”
Alford Community Campus does not yet have a public use defibrillator on site, but is getting one installed in the next few weeks.
Mr Harper was on hand to congratulate the team on is their awards and said: “On behalf of my family, I would just like to thank the lifeguards at the campus, the ambulance service and all the staff at ARI who were also incredible. I’m lucky to be here – all because of these young people who did their job wonderfully.”