Golfing pals at Woodsome Hall Golf Club in Fenay Bridge have been hailed ‘Restart a Heart Heroes.’
After a golfer suffered a cardiac arrest on the course the Wednesday Wastrels group raised £5,000 for a special defibrillator near the 14th tee.
The clubhouse already had a defibrillator but the friends decided one was needed out on the course and purchased an innovative off-grid device by Turtle Medical which is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine.
Until last year there was no viable solution for locations without power and Woodsome Hall was one of the early adopters.
Now, to mark Restart a Heart Day on Thursday October 16, the Wednesday Wastrels have been hailed Restart a Heart Heroes by Turtle Medical for being determined to protect people and help increase out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates.
Every second counts when a person goes into cardiac arrest. For every minute that passes without defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by up to 10%.
In some areas, the nearest 24/7 accessible defibrillator is on average a round trip of over a mile away, according to research supported by British Heart Foundation. In rural areas this can increase significantly.
Huddersfield Hub photographer Sean Doyle is a campaigner for life-saving defibrillators.
Sean (above left) was doing only his sixth 5km parkrun at Greenhead Park when a blocked artery led to a sudden cardiac arrest in May 2013.
By sheer good luck his GP, Dr Emma Spencer, was running that morning, as was nurse Dinah Coggon. They performed CPR and West Yorkshire Ambulance Service first responder Kate Young used a defibrillator on Sean until paramedics arrived to take him to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
In the ambulance Sean suffered a second cardiac arrest and was put into an induced coma when he arrived at the hospital. He spent 36 hours in the coma and was given only a 6% chance of survival so after pulling through he became known as the ‘Miracle Man.’
Over a decade later Sean has just completed his 400th parkrun.
Mike Dowson, the engineer behind the unique solar and wind powered defibrillator cabinet, said: “It’s important our Restart a Heart Heroes like Woodsome Hall Golf Club are celebrated.
“They were not satisfied to leave their communities at risk, and they will inspire other social locations without electrical connection.
“We spent two years undertaking research, development and feasibility studies because we knew there were too many villages, communities and leisure destinations where people were in a vulnerable position if they were to suffer a cardiac arrest.
“Yorkshire is leading the way and there is an opportunity for many people to feel more protected, whether in their home, playing a round of golf or enjoying their allotment.”
For more information about Turtle’s defibrillator cabinets, bleed control cabinets and lifesaving equipment, please visit www.turtlemedical.co.uk.
Tiny Huddersfield village on the Kirklees Way gets its own defibrillator – on a garage wall
