There have been calls for defibrillators to be added to popular walking tracks following the death of school teacher Derek Bunting on a Kapiti walkway recently.
Off-duty nurses made unsuccessful attempts to save Bunting by performing CPR while a Wellington man Ryan, held his head in his arms. Ryan, who watched the tramper collapse on the Escarpment Track, and has a background in health and safety, said the installation of defibrillators could prevent future emergencies.
The latest addition to the Te Araroa Trail, the Paekakariki Escarpment Track has signage warning people that the track is steep and that many staircases do not have handrails.
Te Araroa Trust chief executive Rob Wakelin said the trust had launched a review following the death. Nothing was off the table, he said. "There's probably some practical issues with where we would put [defibrillators] and how safe they would be." They wouldn't let cost be a barrier, Wakelin said.
It is not uncommon around the world to find automated external defibrillators (AED) in outdoor locations, particularly in the more remote parks and trails that attract large numbers of visitors. The AED device comes equipped with simple instructions and diagrams, allowing first-time users to operate the machine.
Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces someone's chance of survival by 10 per cent so using a defibrillator could be a crucial factor in the survival of hikers on remote walking trails.
Essential First Aid Supplies stocks two top selling, award winning defibrillators from the Defibtech range - the semi-automatic and fully automatic heart defibrillators. They are portable, easy to use defibrillators with an excellent reputation. They are currently available for less than $3000.
