A customer at the Comox Community Centre’s life was saved by an off-duty paramedic and staff just after the new year.
According to a statement from the town, a customer at the fitness centre saw the person in distress, and a quick check found the person was in medical distress, not breathing and had no pulse.
They say an off-duty paramedic and community centre staff saved the person’s life with access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) and CPR.
Comox Fire Rescue and BC Ambulance Service arrived at the scene shortly after and the person was taken to the hospital.
Fire chief Gord Schreiner says that they began sponsoring the AED program in 2014, and has helped save lives over the years.
“We know that the faster CPR and AED can be used, the higher the chance the patient has of surviving the event,” said Schreiner. “In this situation, there was a great outcome for the person, and it once again proves the importance of having publicly accessible AEDs.”
The town says they have 50 public accessible AEDs in a variety of businesses and locations within the community.
More information about the AED program can be found on the Comox Fire Rescue Website.
