Sutherland Shire lifeguards saved the life of a man who had stopped breathing after a suspected cardiac episode while in the water at the Caringbah Leisure Centre recently.
The man in his 50s was undertaking a scuba diving training course on Tuesday, January 30 when dive staff noticed him unresponsive under the water and called for the pool lifeguards.
They pulled the man from the water, to find him not breathing and without a pulse.
They immediately started performing CPR as a team member retrieved the on-site medical oxygen tank and Automatic Emergency Defibrillator (AED).
After attaching the AED and completing three cycles, in which lifeguards performed compressions and administered three shocks, the AED indicated a pulse was present and the man regained consciousness just as the paramedics arrived, all within five minutes of the 000 call being made.
“This is another example of the exceptional work our lifeguards do in saving people’s lives,” said Sutherland Shire Mayor, Carmelo Pesce.
“Their comprehensive training kicked in immediately, they carried out the proper assessment protocol and this man is now in a stable condition in Sutherland Hospital.
“The paramedics who responded to the call visited the Leisure Centre at the conclusion of their shift to thank Council’s lifeguards for their excellent work.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our lifeguard team.”
The rescue is just one of a number of rescues Sutherland Shire Council lifeguards have undertaken over the past month.
On Saturday January 20, just before 7pm, Sutherland Shire Council lifeguards received a 000 call advising four people were drowning in an unpatrolled area north of Greenhill’s Beach, approximately 1.5km from the nearest patrolled beach Wanda.
The lifeguards had decided to stay on shift later than usual after undertaking a risk assessment, based on the number of the people still swimming along the four main Cronulla beaches.
In a mass rescue, the four females, as well as two males who had entered the water to attempt to rescue the women, were all brought to safety with just one of the women transported to hospital for observation.
The latest rescues come at a time when the role of the council lifeguards in the shire is being highlight through this weekend’s 2018 Lifeguard Challenge.
At 10:30am this Friday February 9, Sutherland Shire Council lifeguards Lara Hughes and John Wilken will be chatting with Robert Lennon live on 2SSR Radio (99.7FM ‘Sounds of the Shire’) ahead of the 2018 Lifeguard Challenge.
The 2018 Lifeguard Challenge will see lifeguards from Sutherland Shire and Waverley Council put themselves through a gruelling 30 kilometre challenge where they will be rescue board paddling, soft sand running, swimming and road running from Bondi Beach to Cronulla Beach to raise money to purchase a piece of lifesaving equipment for the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick .
People can come down to Cronulla beach from 10:30am this Sunday, February 11, to cheer on the shire lifeguards as they swim towards the finish line.
To make a donation, visit Sydney’s Children’s Hospital Lifeguard Challenge click here