|
Vol. 30, No. 266 For more information, contact Kathleen Jamison, Office of Information and Education, 302-739-4506. Park Ranger Saves Heart Attack VictimDelaware State Parks pride themselves on providing first class treatment for all their visitors. Usually that means making sure they have a good time in the outdoors. For one Bellevue State Park walker it meant an automated external defibrillation-certified park ranger with a portable AED device in her park vehicle. Shortly after noon on Sunday, Aug. 27, Edward L. Keeth Jr., 55, of Wilmington was walking on the park’s 1 1/8-mile track when he collapsed from an apparent heart attack. Other walkers found him face down, not breathing and without a pulse and began administering CPR while a passing bicyclist raced for help. Fortunately for Keeth, the ranger on duty, Roby Armstrong, is both CPR- and AED-certified and is also one of the state park system’s four AED instructors. After assessing the situation, she used the compact AED unit to jumpstart Keeth’s heart. She and Regional Park Ranger Scott Carrow continued CPR until paramedics arrived and transported him to Wilmington Hospital. On Monday afternoon, he was still in the intensive care unit. "I believe Ranger Armstrong saved his life," said Carrow. "Sometimes CPR isn’t enough," according to Gregory Wilson, the Division of Parks and Recreation chief of enforcement. "About two-thirds of all cardiac arrests require a defibrillator to get the heart started." The increasingly common AED device gives an electro-shock to help re-establish an effective heart rhythm. "More and more public places are improving survival odds by having AEDs on hand," Wilson said. The Division began putting them into the parks last year. Today there are 21 units, at least one in each park, and all enforcement and water safety personnel have been trained in their use. AEDs are virtually foolproof, giving recorded, step-by-step instructions as trained users go along during an emergency. -30- Document number 40-01/00/08/35 |
|
Want your news hot off the press? Sign up for the Press Releases List from the DNREC Online Email Lists. DNREC Environmental Release Notification System | DNREC Online
Home | Divisions | Job
Postings | Privacy | Translate | © 2002 Delaware Department of Comments? E-mail the Webmaster |