January 19, 2020
The much-publicised collapse of “Yellow Wiggle” Greg Page on Friday night in Sydney has emphasised the importance of having basic CPR skills – and defibrillators – out in the community.
Greg had just finished a bushfire relief concert when he had a heart attack as he was walking off stage.
Onlookers, including an off-duty nurse, provided immediate CPR and he was “shocked” three times with a defibrillator before ambulance paramedics arrived.
NSW Ambulance Chief Inspector Brian Parsell said later the quick response had saved Greg’s life.
It’s just this sort of quick response that the Kingaroy and Murgon Local Ambulance Committees want to foster in the South Burnett.
The Kingaroy LAC organised two awareness events during the school holidays to provide people with the confidence to provide basic CPR or use one of the many emergency defibrillators which have been placed around the community.
Kingaroy LAC president John Box said the first event, on December 21 at Kingaroy Shoppingworld, attracted 104 participants who took turns at “resuscitating” training mannequins.
On Sunday, Kingaroy and Murgon LAC volunteers joined together to put on another skill-training session, this time outside the Kingaroy SupaIGA complex.
By 1:00pm, 84 people had visited the display, which featured four adult mannequins loaned by the Murgon LAC.
John said the Kingaroy LAC was hoping to buy more CPR mannequins and demonstration defibrillators so the group can continue their skill-raising activities in the local community.
