Does your club or marina have an AED?

[Jumpstart]

My club has an AED (automated external defibrillator). I recently had an experience where I had a sudden cardiac arrest. Fortunately I was playing a tennis match and my tennis club (as well as my sailing club) has an AED. Also fortunate to have a bystander cardiac nurse who administered CPR and who shocked me back to life. Needless to say I was very lucky, having been dead for 5-7 minutes. No ill effects from the incident other than having to have an ICD implanted to prevent another event. The incident was caused by having low potassium, low magnesium, and moderate dehydration. Strictly an electrical problem as my heart tested out fine.

It is prudent for your club/marina to have an AED and a training class to operate it and also CPR classes. 2 weeks ago I was lying dead, face up on the court, and would still be dead if not for an AED and a trained bystander.

 

[JRacer]

Wow. Glad you made it OK. Interesting that the event was caused by issues what one would not normally off the top associate with and MI. Yes, our club has one and just recently did the CPR training for all interested at the club. Definitely a good thing to have on hand. Stay well!

 

[Jackdaw]

At WYC we have 2, one in the clubhouse and one on the fast mark-boat.

WOW glad your're OK!

 

[Jumpstart]

Not an MI. No heart damage. Sub cutaneous implant in my side, defib only, not a pacemaker. Surprisingly, I feel great since being brought back. Bummer is that I had to give up crew position in BYC Mac. No sailing or tennis until mid August while incisions heal.

 

[plenny7]

We have one at our marina, mounted between the men's and women's bathrooms. There may be others but that's the one I can recall.

Sure glad you had one there when you needed it!

 

[Capt jgw]

As a Medical First Responder, I've used AED's several times, with only one "save". Ironically it was the executive who lobbied to get the the units installed in the facility I was working in at the time.
Success rate for MI and other heart issues is quite low, but for electrocution and issues like the OP's they can be very effective if used within the first few minutes.

 

[FastOlson]

We installed one of these in our YC clubhouse a couple of years ago. So far no emergencies to try it on!
There is an annual service and battery check regimen, also.

 

[chuckwayne]

As a trained first responder I was involved in an AED rescue several years ago and I now carry one on Escape as part of my trauma kit. A lot of the places we cruise downeast are a long ways from medical services.

 

[NYSail]

I had an experience last year.... day before wife and I left for a few weeks went to the marina for some dockside food and music. After went to fill up gas can for dingy and saw a friend pull in..... chatted for a few minutes turned to leave and out of no where he went down.... never saw someone turn blue so quick. My wife is trained and started working on him doing cpr..... Marina could not find their AED........ finally found right before rescue came. We left thinking he died. Crazy stuff..... now the marina has it mounted in the office/store. Wake up call

 

[Mulf]

We both took the training course and bought one for our own boat.

 

[MitchM]

this is a great thread. i've been an EMT for years. . running a fund raiser to get $ for AED's is always a winner. now let's also get more bystanders trained in CPR , and get the american red cross to quit charging $550 bucks for the CPR instructor certification.

 

[Rich Stidger]

My USPS District has one that is at all district events. It has not been used yet.... Thankfully.

 

[Benny17441]

Every public establishment should have one; you were lucky it happened at your tennis club.

 

[Pat]

Shane, would we be better off to also have one near 'C' slip gate or somewhere near the slips? Our church has saved two lives so far with theirs....but I have no training on one....would be great to get some training as I had the quadruple bypass in '94....I'll stick by you.....Pat

 

[SFS]

The training is helpful, but the directions printed on the pads and/or the box (once opened) are short, easy to understand, and generally given in pictographs. If you think you need to use one, don't let a lack of training stop you from the attempt. The device actually takes a reading to determine if a shock is necessary, then you hit a button/flip a switch. The ones I've used in training will lock you out if the device decides a shock is not needed.

 

[Parsons]

Congratulations to @Wednightracer for still being among the living! I just do not think that it's cost effective to have an AED around our club, considering the nature of situation and risks. Our club is mainly sailing, with some larger motor vessels. There are not many club activities on land, and only a single night of restaurant/bar service. Therefore, the average person who parked at the club is out on the Bay somewhere, not hanging out on the grounds. If someone were to experience a heart condition, it would probably be on their boat rather than within several miles of the AED device. If I were buying safety equipment, I would instead recommend things that directly involve the boats and the people getting on them, for example emergency de-watering pumps that could double as fire pumps, or more life rings and fire extinguishers.

 

[Alansails]

Glad you are still around, goes to show life is short and we are NOT in control of our own fate!
Funny Story, wife and I belonged to a boat club a few years ago, with a hierarchy that was not open to change..ever. and Aging demographics, we put on a presentation after taking a first aid class and AED class-They did not want anything to do with an AED-which is SUPER easy to operate and has instructions that can be easily followed, there are GRANTS that are available to fund this and they are way cheaper now than ever! also what price would you pay to have your life saved???>? If I have the same issue that wednightracer did I hope I am just as blessed as him. There is a good Samaritan law that protects anyone trying to help acting in good faith.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Shane, would we be better off to also have one near 'C' slip gate or somewhere near the slips? Our church has saved two lives so far with theirs....but I have no training on one....would be great to get some training as I had the quadruple bypass in '94....I'll stick by you.....Pat

I was thinking the same thing. It's a long way back to the Afterdeck when seconds count.