i-SITE staff act fast to save tourist’s life

Closing up the i-SITE at Paihia last Thursday (15 December) was like the end of any normal day for council staff until a woman ran in calling for help. Her friend was having a heart attack.

The British man was a passenger in a car pulled up on the grass verge right outside the i-SITE on Marsden Road. Chris Albrecht and Maxine Whautere, both Visitor Information Consultants at the i-SITE, didn’t hesitate to put their first aid training into action with Maxine ringing 111 while Chris ran to assess the man.

Chris found him unresponsive with no pulse, not breathing, and starting to turn blue. Local retailers and the man’s friends helped Chris lay him under the trees where a passerby started performing CPR while Chris ran to the i-SITE to grab a defibrillator installed at the entrance.

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) pass a brief electrical current through the heart so the body’s natural pacemaker can re-establish a proper rhythm. AEDs won’t give a person an electric shock unless it’s necessary so no one can be harmed with the device. Simple voice and visual instructions make it easy for anyone to use an AED in an emergency. Although Chris had received training, he’d never used a defibrillator “for real” before. 

Chris attached adhesive pads to the man’s chest, and following the instructions was able to restart the man’s heart and get him breathing again after a “couple of minutes”. The man’s friend told Chris: “I think you saved his life.”

Chris says that while the event was extremely stressful, they were very lucky that the right people were on hand to help. “You can have all the training in the world, but you never know how you will react in the moment – it’s still down to instinct.” His best advice to anyone found needing to use a defibrillator is to follow the instructions carefully.

Chris and Maxine’s quick thinking and fast action undoubtedly played a crucial part in saving the man and ensuring he was in a stable condition until the ambulance arrived. The man, who was thought to be in his 70s, was later airlifted to hospital.

All Far North District Council i-SITE centres have defibrillators available for public use in an emergency.

For more information about AED’s visit the St John website where you'll also find a video on how to use an AED.