There were plenty of hugs at Barwon Heads Soccer Club this morning as Jon Phillips met with the paramedics and bystanders who saved his life.
The Barwon Heads man was playing soccer with the senior men’s team on 16 May when he left the pitch complaining of chest pains.
Mr Phillips was then attended to by teammates – and doctors – Andrew Marriott and Kazunori Nakajima and off-duty emergency doctor Jean Moller before the 54-year-old went into cardiac arrest.
“I was trying to pass the chest pains off like nothing was wrong, but they weren’t listening to me and then the pain just got worse and worse before I doubled over and just passed out,” he said.
Mr Marriott, Ms Moller and bystander Carly Vanderzeil immediately jumped into action by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using the club’s automated external defibrillator (AED) until Ambulance Victoria (AV) paramedics arrived.
“Between the three of us we did CPR for a good 15 minutes, including two to three shocks from the defibrillator, before John regained a cardiac output and consciousness,” Mr Marriott said.
“It’s important to first recognise a cardiac arrest and then call for help, perform early CPR and have early access to defibrillation, which probably helped lead to John’s successful outcome,” Ms Moller said.
Five months later, on Friday 17 October, Mr Phillips reunited with the paramedics, first responders and bystanders who helped save his life.
“It was surreal and awkward, but it was great with lots of hugs, and it’s just a nice positive thing,” he said.
“My ribs took a long time to heal because they were broken from the CPR, which is normal and in a funny way, the pain felt good because I could feel it.
“I’m doing great now and that’s because everyone acted so quickly to help me, so I owe my life to my teammates and hope others take this as their sign to learn CPR and know where their nearest AED is.”
Cardiac arrests can happen to anyone and at any time, with close to 21 people experiencing a cardiac arrest every day in Victoria, according to AV data.
Advanced life support paramedic Sam Williams said it was important for people to understand what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest, as only one in 10 Victorians will survive.
“Victoria has the best cardiac survival rates in Australia and among the best in the world, and that’s because people are willing to jump in and deliver lifesaving care when it matters most,” he said.
