Marina equiped to save lives

AQUEDUCT Marina at Nantwich now has an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) installed by the North West Ambulance Service, able to save the lives of cardiac arrest victims.

Six members of the staff have also been trained in use of the equipment by the ambulance service, with the potential to save lives, with the equipment on hand 24 hours a day.

Well placed

The 147 berth marina welcomes hundreds of visitors every year, and is surrounded by 100 acres of farmland networked with walking trails, so the defibrillator is well placed. In the photograph are Aqueduct Marina's Paul Duncalf (with the defibrillator), Stephen Wallace, Sarah Rayner and a representative of the North West Ambulance Service.

Nick Blair, Resuscitation Development Officer explained:

"I am really pleased that the marina has taken on board our initiative to place AEDs where there is an increased risk of cardiac arrest due to the high number of visitors. Staff are now equipped with the knowledge and skills that could save a life—joining over 2.6 million people in the UK who have already been trained as part of the initiative.

"The machines are so simple to use and cannot do any further harm to the patient. They only allow you to deliver a shock if a patient is in a specific rhythm. The AED delivers an electric pulse through the chest, in an attempt to restore normal heart rhythm. A patient's chance of survival decreases 10% for every minute that passes without defibrillation therefore with the application of an AED within five minutes of collapse the best possible chance of survival is maintained."

Robert Parton a Director at the marina enthused:

"We at Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina are delighted to have been trained in the use of the AED by the North West Ambulance Service, and been allocated a machine for the marina complex, though the AED is easy for anyone to use. It will add a lot to improving the first aid provision we can provide at the marina."