A Geelong man has met with the people who saved his life, after suffering a cardiac arrest four months ago.
Richard Sinclair was reunited with the first responders and bystanders who stepped in to help on September 29.
Mr Sinclair said he was playing a regular Saturday bowls game at Geelong Bowls Club when he collapsed on the green in June.
Bystanders and fellow players the rushed to help by calling Triple Zero (000), starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), retrieving a nearby automated external defibrillator (AED) and waiting outside to flag down an ambulance.
“I’m extremely grateful that I was around people who knew what to do, they saved my life,” Mr Sinclair said.
“I think everyone should learn CPR and where their nearest defibrillator is located. You never know when you might need it, and it could save someone.”
Ambulance Victoria acting community engagement coordinator Sara Hadden said 21 people in Victoria will experience a cardiac arrest every day but that only 10 would survive.
“What we’re finding is that the more people we have willing to engage in learning CPR, we’re having better patient outcomes,” she said.
“So, people are surviving more than what they ever have been simply because people are willing to step in, provide CPR to the person and use an AED.
“We also have our community first responders, which are called GoodSam responders, and they play a very pivotal role in attending to a public emergency prior to the ambulance or fire services.
“We like to celebrate cardiac arrest survivors like Richard, so we promote lots of stories and we’re out in force teaching as many people in the community how to do good effective CPR and use AEDs.”
