You never know when or where an emergency will strike, and David Axon knows it well.
When the state government announced that the Melton Model Aircraft Association, of which Mr Axon is president, will be one of 150 clubs across the state to receive a defibrillator, he was relieved.
Mr Axon says the club has many elderly members, some with cardiac problems.
“There was a gentleman from another aircraft club … and his mates found him dead at the field,” he says.
“He had had a heart attack. We really need a defibrillator for ensuring peace of mind.”
Mr Axon says the club can’t afford to purchase defibrillators, which can cost up to $3000.
Melton MP Don Nardella said having a defibrillator on hand could mean players, parents and spectators could step in and take action until paramedics arrived.
“When cardiac arrest strikes, there’s not a second to spare,” Mr Nardella said.
“Early intervention greatly increases the likelihood of survival during cardiac arrest.”
