By Ed Merrison and Paul Dunlop
In March, Ian Thomas, a joint partner in the Mail Newspaper Group, suffered a heart attack and was brought back from the brink of death by two acquaintances who knew life-saving CPR skills. This week the Mail launches a campaign to increase
awareness of the benefits of learning first aid, particularly cardiopulmonary
resuscitation. If you have had a similar experience or have used your skills to save a life we would love to hear from you.
Contact either Ed Merrison or Tania Martin on 9752 1611.
FERNTREE Gully employee David Harrison does not consider himself a hero but his experience and readiness to act proved the difference between life and death earlier this year.
Saving the life of Ian Thomas in March has helped put Mr Harrison’s own existence into perspective and has also highlighted the importance of widespread cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training within the community.
Mr Harrison, who works for Ferntree Gully Holden and has been a member of Nar Nar Goon CFA for 18 years, intervened without hesitation when Mr Thomas collapsed with a heart attack at the Pakenham Show on Saturday, 18 March.
He and Harry Maas, another longstanding member of the CFA, just happened to be around when Mr Thomas tumbled from his chair as committee members enjoyed a quiet drink at the end of a successful show.
“I turned to the side as he was hitting the floor. I jumped across a couple of chairs and was to him in seconds,” Mr Harrison said.
Mr Harrison and Mr Maas then began administering CPR on Mr Thomas.
A couple of times a pulse came and went as Mr Thomas lay rigid but Mr Harrison and Mr Maas kept going even after the ambulance arrived 10 minutes later.
The two swapped roles, and Mr Harrison will never forget the feeling when Mr Thomas’s first breath rushed out and into the air bag he was holding.
It was 45 minutes before Mr Thomas was taken away in the ambulance, breathing but still not in a stable condition.
He was taken to Dandenong Hospital and spent eight days in intensive care before moving to Knox Hospital where he continued his painstaking recovery.
Mr Harrison and Mr Maas are modest about their actions in saving Mr Thomas but deserved all the praise they got, Pakenham Ambulance team manager Simon Thompson said.
Mr Thompson said the pair undoubtedly saved Mr Thomas’s life, and proved the value of first aid training.
The incident has brought the value of life into sharp focus for Mr Harrison who has reshuffled priorities to ensure he is enjoying his life and family even more.
“It certainly changes your whole outlook on life when you can see how quickly it can happen,” he said.
Having learned CPR at the age of 10 and maintained and intensified his training over the years, Mr Harrison said he would love to see basic CPR techniques a compulsory part of getting a driver’s licence.
“Even the basics are going to help. It could make an enormous difference,” he said.
“Not everybody can cope with the trauma of attending a road accident but just knowing the basics of what to do can be so valuable.”
