Sixty seconds from death

QUICK thinking Northsiders saved the life of a
20-year-old who went into cardiac arrest on an all-weather football pitch.

Ray Stears, a certified first aider who runs
Portmarnock Judo Club, was in the bar of the Portmarnock Sports and Leisure
Centre (PSLC) at around 10pm last Thursday week (December 1) when the dramatic
incident unfolded.

“Our judo club had just finished a training session,

?
Mr Stears told Northside People.

“The barman got a call to say there was a problem on
the pitch. He told me a man was after having a seizure.

“When I ran down there was a young lad lying lifeless
on the ground.

“I checked for a pulse. He wasn’t breathing and there
was no heartbeat so I started CPR. I gave him breaths and chest compressions.

“John Russell, an assistant coach at my club, decided
to follow me and brought a defibrillator.

“Barry O’Dwyer, a lifeguard at the
sports and leisure centre, also provided assistance.

“It was an unbelievable scene. All my training just kicked
into gear.

“Barry was clearing the vomit and John was working
with the defibrillator. It was great that they were there as it would have been
very difficult for one person to do the whole lot.

?

Mr Stears said that the reading on the Automated External
Defibrillator (AED) machine advised that a shock be given to the victim.

“When that was applied, he basically started gasping
and I got a pulse,

? he stated.

“It was an incredible relief that he was alive
and we managed to save him.

“Someone then handed me a phone and I was on to the
emergency services giving them details from the defibrillator readings.

“They told me that we had done all the right things
and we did a great job. We were working on him for about 20 minutes before the
ambulance came.

?

According to Mr Stears, if he had arrived at the scene
60 seconds later, it would have been too late.

“From the time the victim hits the ground, you only
have four minutes to make an intervention and three of those had elapsed;
that’s how tight it was,

? he explained.

The man, who lives in Kinsealy, is in Beaumont
Hospital.

“We’re delighted to say that he has no brain damage
and will make a full recovery,

? said Mr Stears.

“The man’s father was present and watching all of
this. He had been playing in the football match with him. He was completely
traumatised and very distressed.

“It’s very hard to describe how you’re feeling at the
time and after the event when you get a result.

“The adrenalin is flying and your emotions are all
over the place. It takes a while for it to all sink in.

?

Ironically, only two weeks ago Ray and John did a
course on Olympic Wrestling and two hours of it was devoted to a refresher in
CPR and defibrillation.

“This was very timely and certainly helped,

? said Ray
who has been certified twice in first aid in the last two years.

“I would highly recommend that people do a first aid course
and learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

“The more members of a club that do a first aid course
the better. It’s not expensive to do a course.

?

Incredibly, Ray was also involved in a dramatic
lifesaving incident two years ago at the same location.

“A 33-year-old man collapsed on a treadmill at the
leisure centre and I assisted Bobby O’Malley, an instructor at the centre, who
saved him with the aid of a defibrillator,

? he added.