Quayside Leisure Centre team has been recognised for life saving actions

Three quick-thinking Quayside Leisure Centre staff in Kingsbridge have been recognised for the part they played in saving the life of 60-year-old centre user, Louise, and they have now been presented with Resuscitation Certificates.

General manager Kieron, team leader Eslam and lifeguard Joel, have been awarded the ‘Resuscitation Certificate of The Society’ by the Royal Humane Society for their life saving actions. The certificate is awarded to people who have undertaken a successful resuscitation of someone through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and/or CPR.

Joel Musegula (Lifeguard, Louise (Member resuscitated), Kieron Clarke (General Manager), Eslam Djennad (Team Leader)

Staff recognised that 60-year-old centre member, Louise, was in cardiac arrest and acted quickly to deliver CPR and administer shocks from the centre’s defibrillator, while the emergency services were called. 

The Devon Air Ambulance and local ambulance crews attended and were able to stabilise the patient before transporting her to hospital. The Air Ambulance team have also commended the team. With only 8% of people who have an out of hospital cardiac arrest going on to survive, there is no doubt that the team’s swift actions saved the member’s life.

Louise went on to make a full recovery and, on return to the centre, she initially met with the centre’s cardiac rehabilitation specialist to ease her back into exercise and she is now back doing her regular group exercise classes. The staff at Quayside were delighted to welcome Louise back to the centre.

Louise joined the team for the presentation of their certificates and commented: “I shall be forever grateful to Kieron, Joel and Eslam for saving my life that fateful day in July last year. They were there for me in my darkest hour, and without their quick thinking, prompt action and highly proficient resuscitation skills I would not be here today. 

"I am so pleased that their actions have been acknowledged with this prestigious award from the Royal Humane Society;  it is so well deserved, and they should be rightly very proud.”

Rob Taylor, Fusion Lifestyle’s regional manager for Devon, added: “I couldn’t be prouder of the team at Quayside Leisure Centre and how everyone used their training, knowledge, and professionalism to spring into action and deal with the kind of incident we spend 2 hours every month training for but hope never we need to tackle.

"I’d also like to express my thanks to any customers who assisted in any way and to all attending emergency services.  We are very lucky to have the Devon Air Ambulance which is funded by the people of Devon and has saved countless lives.”

Donations to the Devon Air Ambulance can be made here: www.daat.org/donate/donate-now