A GOLF club near Faringdon has installed life-saving equipment after a man died there earlier this year.

Carswell Golf and Country Club now has a defibrillator that can be accessed by anyone.

Members of the club raised £400 for the machine – which anyone can use to shock the heart back to life – to be placed behind an unlocked door next to the changing rooms.

It was acquired via South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) at a discounted price and cost £800, with the British Heart Foundation donating theextra £400.

President John Stiles said the club’s senior section suggested the device was needed after a man suffered a cardiac arrest in the gym at the beginning of the year.

He said: “The air ambulance arrived but it was too late.

“If we had a defibrillator then at least he might have had a chance so it was a bit of a wake-up call for the club.

“They are very easy to operate and I think every club should think about having one.

“It’s essential and the equipment is available for use immediately.”

The installation comes as SCAS divisional responder manager Dick Tracey appealed to boost defibrillator numbers from 120 to 320 in the county by May next year.

Since the Oxford Mail published his appeal, he said interest had trebled.

 

 

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