Learn where to find them, urges local rugby coach who helped save a life with a defibrillator
THE importance of Melksham’s lifesaving defibrillators has been highlighted by the recent events at the Euro 2020 football tournament, which saw Denmark midfielder, Christian Eriksen, collapse suddenly during a match.
Football fans were left in shock when the 29-year-old player collapsed during a Euro 2020 match against Finland. Eriksen had suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the pitch – the medical team used a defibrillator to help save his life.
In Melksham and the surrounding villages there are 13 defibrillators available in public places, which can be used in the event of a cardiac arrest.
And there are plans for Melksham Town Council to add a fourteenth to the list, agreeing this week to purchase a new defibrillator for the Cricketers Café in King George V Playing Fields.
Both of Melksham’s councils and local rugby coach Tom Coleman – who used a defibrillator to help save the life of another coach – are raising awareness about the location of the defibrillators and the difference they can make in an emergency.
For rugby coach, Tom, the scenes from Copenhagen brought back memories of an event in 2018 when he helped save the life of another coach at Melksham Rugby Club by using a defibrillator – one that had been purchased in memory of Melksham rugby player, Paul McQuillan, who died suddenly after a match in November 2017 at the age of 41.
Tom said, “We had a member of the coaching staff who turned unwell one evening, and it turned out he was having a heart attack.
“We are all trained first aiders as coaches, but the quick identification of the requirement for, and then the immediate location of the defibrillator, made it possible to save the person’s life ultimately. We deployed the defib three times before the emergency services arrived.
“Time is of the essence, as is evidently clear after what happened to Christian Eriksen. Having one there at the club did save a life, and I am confident, hand on heart, that without the defibrillator, my job would have been a lot harder, if not impossible to achieve.
“Defibrillators are the difference between life and death if there’s a cardiac episode – like a cardiac arrest, or a heart attack taking place. It’s stories like Eriksen’s that bring the importance of learning first aid skills and where defibrillators are to the fore.
“I would emphasise how user friendly defibs are – nobody should be afraid of using them. And I would also recommend taking formal training and learning basic first aid if you get the opportunity.”
Melksham Without Parish Council’s clerk, Teresa Strange said, “Please familiarise yourself with where they are, in case you ever need to use one. You need no training to use a Community Access Defibrillator, they are designed for that very purpose. The ones installed at Melksham Without locations have a video screen that show you how to use it, along with voice instructions.
“It will only allow you to press the button and send a shock to the heart if it detects that the heart has stopped and requires that action, you cannot accidently shock someone or hurt somebody – to be blunt, the person that you are helping’s heart has stopped beating – you can’t hurt them, only try and save their life.”
Melksham Town Council’s clerk, Linda Roberts added, “In a nutshell, having access to defibrillators can save lives, it can be the difference between surviving a cardiac arrest or not.”
About the plans for a new defibrillator in King George V Playing Fields, she said, “As the park is being used by more and more people for various reasons, including keep fit, running etc, I saw it as vital for that location.”
The locations of defibrillators in the town are: Melksham Riverside Centre; Jones Supermarket, Forest Road; Water Meadow Pub, Cranesbill Road; Melksham Assembly Hall; Melksham Fire Station, Semington Road; Melksham Store, Beanacre Road; and the SSE Building, Spa Road.
Defibrillators in rural areas can be found at: The Pilot Pub, Bowerhill; the pavilion at Bowerhill Sports Field; The New Inn, Berryfield; Shaw Village Hall; Whitley Reading Rooms; and St Barnabas Church (entrance porch), Beanacre.
About what to do in an emergency, the South Western Ambulance Service advises, “Anyone should call 999 immediately if they think someone may be having a cardiac arrest or heart attack. If someone isn’t breathing normally, they should also begin safe CPR and use a defibrillator if one is available.”
More information about cardiac arrest is available of the British Heart Foundation website: www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/cardiac-arrest
