Life savers on hand during cardiac arrest drama at Falkirk area community centre

The people who were present at the Stirlingshire and Midland Table Tennis League session in Grangemouth’s Bowhouse Community Centre on Sunday, October 15 will not forget what happened as the matches got underway.

When an elderly player suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during one of the matches, former ambulance worker Steve Jelfs – who happened to be there playing table tennis – noticed the man’s discomfort and quickly took action.

Seventy-year-old Steve said: “I just did what anyone should do when they see someone in trouble. Knowing how to perform CPR and having access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) is a responsibility we all share as members of the community."

And, luckily, Steve is an expert who has first-hand knowledge of the defibrillation and resuscitation industry after working for two decades with six different ambulance services in the UK.

He began performing CPR – cardiopulmonary resuscitation – on the stricken player and then instructed bystanders to call 999 and collect the automated AED which was available at the centre.

Another table tennis player – a serving paramedic – helped use the device and after one shock was delivered the man was conscious, breathing normally and lucid while he waited for the ambulance to arrive.

The man is now on the mend in hospital – he can thank Steve’s quick thinking and CPR skills, the actions of the off duty paramedic and the availability of the AED for that.

Steve, from Alva, modestly downplayed his heroic actions and instead took the opportunity to highlight the importance of learning basic CPR because it could potentially mean the difference between life and death in a cardiac emergency like the one he was involved in at the Bowhouse Community Centre.

He added: “Having AEDs readily accessible in public places, like sporting facilities, community centres, and schools, is a vital part of the chain of survival. The fact the man owes his life to the quick response of a caring individual, highlights we can all play a part in saving a life when it matters.”