An incident on Ocean Grove beach has been the impetus for the installation of a publicly accessible AED (automated external defibrillator) at the Surf Beach Complex.
On December 13, father of three, Will Purcell walked up to the beach after his daily paddleboard, when he collapsed.
Luck was on his side, as bystanders and tradespeople immediately called 000 and began CPR.
Retired MICA paramedic and OGSLSC life member Ralph Harries happened to be walking by and also ran to help.
Former OGSLSC president David Pavia also noticed the situation and was able to grab an AED from inside the surf club.
Partly thanks to the early intervention, Will survived and is now well on the way to recovery.
Following discussion between the operators at the complex, Barwon Coast and The Dunes Restaurant have donated an AED defibrillator device to the surf cub, which will make it available to the public and be responsible for upkeep.
OGSLSC thanked the public for heeding the recent warnings at the beach involving air quality and the closure of the beach due to lightning storms.
Both these phenomena pose a significant risk to the community and with the assistance of Life Saving Victoria, the club is able to pass these warnings onto the beach users via its professional and volunteer lifesavers.
