Two cardiac arrest survivors join life-saving training charity

Sunday 27 June 2021

Two men who are living proof of the life-saving intervention of CPR have joined a charity dedicated to promoting training and awareness.

Rick Denton suffered a cardiac arrest at Les Cotils, while Nick Brown was out cycling by Sausmarez Park when he suddenly fell ill.

The lives of both men were saved due to the response of people in the area who delivered CPR and cared for them until paramedics arrived. 

Mr Denton has become the Cardiac Action Group's Patron and Mr Brown a Committee Member.

He said the funding the charity received from the community has allowed the charity to employ a Community Resuscitation Development Officer to increase awareness and training provision. 

Pictured: The charity has installed more than 100 24-hour Public Access Defibrillators across the Bailiwick.

"The Community Resuscitation Development Officer provides life-saving training to all sectors of the community," said Mr Brown.

"This is done with the aim of raising the number of bystanders across the Bailiwick who are confident and able to act immediately to finding someone who is not conscious and not breathing normally and thus increasing the survival rate and quality of life in the event of anyone having an out of hospital sudden cardiac arrest."

Mike Froome, who delivers that training, said the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest decreases with every minute of inaction.

"Our aim is to ensure that as many people as possible know what to do and have easy access to a defibrillator," he said.

"We know that 11 people in the Bailiwick are alive today because they had access to a community defibrillator and to people who knew what to do."

"Rick and Nick are living proof of how vital the charity’s work is"

The charity has installed more than 100 24-hour Public Access Defibrillators across the Bailiwick and have provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator (AED) training to over 3,000 islanders since 2018. 

Gerry Le Roy from the Cardiac Action Group is encouraging more businesses, schools and organisations to offer CPR and defibrillator training to help save lives. 

"Rick and Nick are living proof of how vital the charity’s work is. They are fantastic ambassadors and their energy and enthusiasm will be a huge asset to the Cardiac Action Group," she said. 

For further information on supporting the Cardiac Action Group or to book a training session please contact Gerry Le Roy on 07781 129 539 or email info@cag.org.gg.

Pictured top: Rick Denton and Nick Brown (front left and second from left) outside the Ravenscroft building at New Street, which is one of around 100 sites with a publicly-accessible defibrillator.