By YASEMIN TALAT
HOPPERS Crossing Sports Club staff were presented with a commendation award last Friday for their efforts in saving the life of one of their members.
Ambulance Victoria paramedics, who were at the scene, presented the staff members with the commendation award.
Staff members were quick to react when they noticed a 77-year-old man collapsed while visiting the club on 3 May this year.
The staff commenced CPR before applying an Automatic Defibrillator to successfully restart the man’s heart.
Paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the man to hospital where has had made a complete recovery.
Paramedic Lauren Burns nominated the club staff for the commendation.
Ms Burns said she heartily congratulated the staff for their efforts.
“This was an outstanding team effort, with everyone involved keeping calm under extreme pressure,” Ms Burns said.
“Their quick thinking and training in CPR and in the use of the AED resulted in a man’s life being saved, it could have so easily been a very different outcome,” she said.
General Manager of the Hoppers Crossing Sports Club George Csifo was one of the four staff members to be awarded on Friday.
“It’s surreal, it’s very hard to put words to it, it certainly something that will stick with me for the rest of my life,” Mr Csifo said.
The other staff members included: Silva Warhurst, Peter Breadmore and off-duty nurse and member of the club Kylie Buckingham.
Mr Csifo said having the defibrillator available was a great bonus to the rescue of the member.
He recommended all sporting clubs have defibrillator on location.
“It’s extremely important, nowadays it is a due diligence to your members, especially if you’re in the sporting fraternity,” he said.
A year ago a parent of one of the junior’s from the club lost their life at another sporting facility that did not have a defibrillator present.
