By RUSSELL BENNETT
PORTABLE defibrillators save lives, and Kooweerup Recreation Reserve committee chairman Leigh Kirby fears the disappearance of the device from the clubrooms at Denham’s Road could cost someone theirs.
“Three weeks ago there was a junior cricket training night and one of the parents of one of the kids collapsed and had a turn,” Mr Kirby told the Gazette.
“I was contacted to try and find the defibrillator and I told them where it was, but when they went to get it – it was gone.
“It could have been a fatal here the other week, which clearly would have been disastrous for the family, the recreation reserve, and everyone involved.
“No-one knows where it is or where it’s gone so now we’re going to have to look into getting another one, because this should never have happened.”
Mr Kirby said an ambulance took the parent to hospital, and he was now fine, but added “it could have been absolutely fatal.
“I’m just appealing for anyone who knows the whereabouts of it to come forward, or for anyone to come forward with any ideas on how the recreation reserve could replace it.
“The worry is that the machine could be needed at any stage from this point on, and it’s just not there.”
Mr Kirby said he was baffled as to why anyone would remove a potentially life-saving piece of equipment from the reserve, when the consequences could be so dire.
“We’re not pointing the finger at anyone – we just don’t know where it is,” he said.
“We’ve had great assistance from both the football and cricket clubs in trying to find it, but it just hasn’t surfaced and it has to be replaced.
“If anyone knows its whereabouts, if it’s returned there’ll be no questions asked.
“We just need it back because we have a game here this weekend and we have training throughout the week.”
Mr Kirby said the reserve committee was “highly embarrassed” that they can’t explain the disappearance of the machine, which was donated by the Cardinia Shire Council and the Bendigo Bank.
“It’s very embarrassing if we have to go back to the Bendigo Bank and ask for them to assist us with another defibrillator when we don’t know what happened to this one,” he said.
“After some investigations we found out there was a meeting here in early December and it was noticed that it was gone then.
“It hasn’t been reported to the police as being stolen, because we just don’t know.
“Only two user groups have got keys to this room (the home change rooms at Denhams Road) – the football club and the cricket club – but from my investigations with both of those there’s just no answer.
“They’ve both clearly done their best to try and find where it’s gone, but it’s led to a dead-end road.
From Mr Kirby’s research, a new defibrillator would cost the reserve committee anywhere between $1800 and $3000, but there’s no price on a human life.
Anyone with any information about the whereabouts of the portable defibrillator should contact Mr Kirby on 0417 144 437.
