CARMARTHEN: ‘I woke up seven days later and was told what had happened’ — the job centre staff who saved a man’s life with a defibrillator they’d never used before

Stephen Booth walked into Carmarthen Job Centre Plus in March last year.

He never expected to leave in an ambulance.

As he stepped out of the lift, security officer Chris Manfield noticed something was wrong.

Seconds later, Stephen collapsed.

He had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest – one of the most serious medical emergencies a person can face. Without immediate intervention, he would not survive.

Manfield had recently completed basic life support training and didn’t hesitate. He called 999, began CPR and shouted to colleague Endaf Davies to fetch the defibrillator from the entrance.

“I instinctively knew he was in cardiac arrest,” Manfield said. “So I called 999, followed the call handler’s instructions and began CPR.”

For Davies, a Job Centre service manager, this was his first cardiac arrest emergency – and he had never received CPR or defibrillator training in his life.

He grabbed the defibrillator, opened the lid and simply followed the voice instructions.

“I’m still amazed today, just as I was then, at how easy it was to use,” Davies said.

Together, the two men performed CPR for more than five minutes and delivered two defibrillator shocks until Welsh Ambulance Service Senior Paramedic Stephen Bowles arrived and took over.

Stephen was blue-lighted to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where he spent the next two weeks. He woke up seven days after the cardiac arrest with no memory of what had happened.

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“I don’t remember anything about that day,” Stephen said. “I woke up in Morriston Hospital seven days later and was told what had happened.”

He had one stent fitted and underwent numerous tests before being discharged.

Save a Life Cymru recently reunited Stephen with the people who helped save him – including Manfield, Davies and paramedic Bowles – where he presented them with Bystander Commendation Certificates.

“I was later told I’d received excellent CPR, which was vital to my recovery,” Stephen said. “I would encourage everyone to learn these lifesaving skills.”

Bowles said meeting cardiac arrest survivors was always special for ambulance crews, who rarely get the chance to see the outcome of their work. “I think he was glad too, as I could explain from a medical perspective what had happened to him that day,” he said.

Julie Starling, Clinical Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Programme Manager for Wales, said bystander intervention was the only way to increase survival rates. “We want to build a nation where people feel confident to call 999, start CPR and use a defibrillator when someone collapses,” she said.

A cardiac arrest happens without warning. The person collapses, becomes unresponsive and stops breathing normally. If you see this happen: call 999, start CPR and use a defibrillator if one is available – they are designed to be used by anyone, with no training required.

Anyone who has been affected by a cardiac arrest and needs support can visit resus.org.uk/public-resource/support-after-cardiac-arrest.

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Ystalyfera cardiac arrest survivor reunited with lifesaving neighbours and ambulance crews

In March, Kealey Reilly was woken by a sound she first thought was snoring. Her husband Oliver, 38, was in fact experiencing agonal breathing — a sign of cardiac arrest.

Realising something was seriously wrong, Kealey dialled 999 while the couple’s 12‑year‑old daughter Florence ran next door to alert neighbours Hannah and Matthew Miers, both off‑duty police officers trained in CPR.

The couple took over chest compressions, assisted by another neighbour — a retired auxiliary nurse — while a public access defibrillator, installed just months earlier and located 120 metres away, was retrieved and used.

Welsh Ambulance Service paramedic Vikki Davies and emergency medical technicians Colin Read, Jamie Higgins and Gavin Treseder soon arrived, with advanced critical care support provided by the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) in a Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopter.

Oliver was taken to Morriston Hospital by ambulance, supported by the EMRTS crew, and spent three weeks in an induced coma.

“I owe my life to Kealey, Florence, and our neighbours Hannah and Matthew,” said Oliver. “Kealey’s quick reaction, Florence’s bravery in seeking help, and the strength shown by Hannah and Matthew were extraordinary. You’ve allowed me to be here today for my children and for that I will be eternally grateful.”

The Welsh Ambulance Service has formally recognised Hannah and Matthew Miers with a Chief Executive’s Commendation for their actions.

Kealey said doctors had warned Oliver might never walk or talk again, but he had defied all expectations.

“We were extremely lucky; everything was in place for him to survive. Not many people can say they’ve saved someone’s life, let alone their neighbour’s. I’m extremely grateful to Hannah and Matthew — they absolutely deserve this recognition.”

Carl Powell, Clinical Lead for Acute Care at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said Oliver’s survival showed the importance of CPR and defibrillators.

“Your chances of surviving a cardiac arrest are significantly improved if there are people trained in CPR and a defibrillator is brought to the scene. I would urge everyone to learn CPR and sign up to the GoodSAM app in Wales to help create a nation of life savers.”

The Welsh Ambulance Service, Save a Life Cymru and the Resuscitation Council UK have partnered to provide tailored support for cardiac arrest survivors, their families and bystanders, including resources for young people and co‑survivors.

#ambulance #cardiacArrest #CPR #defibrillators #EMRTS #MorristonHospital #ResuscitationCouncilUK #SaveALifeCymru #WalesAirAmbulance #WelshAmbulanceServiceTrust #Ystalyfera

Four hospitals to install defibrillators that the public can use

Hywel Dda University Health Board have announced that members of the public now have access to four new defibrillators on each of its main hospital sites. 

These are at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen at the main entrance by the hospital sign, Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli by the bus stop at the entrance to the hospital, Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth by the pharmacy entrance and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest at the roundabout on the main entrance.

The health board says this has been made possible by collaboration between the health board and Save a Life Cymru to install public access defibrillators for use in the community. 

It added that for every minute that CPR and defibrillation is not commenced the chance of survival decreases by 10%. Immediate CPR and early defibrillation can significantly increase survival.

Save a Life Cymru provided the four defibrillators at no cost to the health board. The defibrillators are housed in heated cabinets and will be checked regularly by volunteer ‘guardians’. Each public access defibrillator is registered with the National Defibrillator Network (The Circuit) and this means that should they be needed, the 999 ambulance call taker will be able to direct someone to them.  

The defibrillators are said to be really easy to use and offer voice prompts. In the event of a cardiac arrest, members of the public will need to call 999. They will be advised where the nearest defibrillator is located and to follow the instructions provided (visual, phone, defibrillator) while performing CPR and providing defibrillation. Never stop CPR, always send someone else to fetch the defibrillator for you.

Professor Len Nokes, Chair of Save a Life Cymru said: “We are delighted to have provided new public access defibrillators at four key locations on the Hywel Dda estate. This gives the surrounding communities and visitors to these sites 24/7 access to lifesaving defibrillators. We know that for every minute someone’s in cardiac arrest without receiving CPR and having a defibrillator used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10%. 

“Marc Gower, our Save a Life Cymru’s Community Co-ordinator in west Wales, will be supporting the defibrillator guardians to make sure defibrillators continue to be registered on The Circuit so that their locations are made available to the Welsh Ambulance Service.  This will ensure that the 999 call takers can direct a bystander to a registered defibrillator and help save more lives.”

Dr Eiry Edmunds, Interim Deputy Medical Director for Acute for the health board said: “I am proud of our collaboration with Save a Life Cymru to ensure public access defibrillators are available at our hospital sites. This collaboration provides potentially lifesaving equipment for our communities.”

Mark Henwood, Executive Medical Director at the health board, said: “I am very pleased to hear that we are the second health board in Wales to engage with Save a Life Cymru to provide public access defibrillators. This will be a great development for the health of our communities and will save lives. I wish to personally thank Save a Life Cymru, all those individuals who have donated and also the volunteer guardians.”

#Aberystwyth #BronglaisHospital #Carmarthen #defibrillators #GlangwiliHospital #Haverfordwest #HywelDdaNHS #Llanelli #PrincePhilipHospital #SaveALifeCymru #WithybushHospital