For the week ending 14 October, there were a total of 20 accident and medical related callouts on the island.
Ambulance personnel attended two people at the scene of an incident; five were transported to the on-call doctor, two were taken off the island via police boat, four by rescue helicopter and seven on Fullers ferry.
Tuesday 16 October was the St John New Zealand ‘Restart a Heart Day’ and the organisation is encouraging locals to know where their nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is, take a photo and post it on social media to spread the word.
Only one in ten New Zealanders survive cardiac arrest, a statistic that emergency services say can be dramatically improved. St John Medical Director, Dr Tony Smith, says St John has released a video marking Restart a Heart Day to educate the public on CPR and AEDs to improve New Zealanders’ chances of surviving cardiac arrest. Early intervention with CPR combined with defibrillation can more than double someone’s chances of survival.
“As well as brushing up on your CPR know-how, the theme of this year’s Restart a Heart Day encourages people to know where their nearest AEDs are located. We encourage schools, workplaces and partners to participate in Restart a Heart Day by visiting restartaheart.co.nz and making a plan to save a life.”
Waiheke Rotary has done a lot of work to place AED’s in key locations across the island, and this social media campaign encourages locals to know where their nearest is, take a photo and post it on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #RestartAHeart. • Sophie Boladeras
