Fair play to Ray Stears PORTMARNOCk JUDO CLUB.

globalkb

Thought you might like to read this:

http://www.dublinpeople.com/article.php?id=662&l=100

Im not sure if Ray posts on here, but very well done to all involved! I hope to never have to use my First Aid training in our club.

hidinginthebush

Good on him! Funnily enough I've a friend who saved someone's life in the gym up there under similar circumstances a year or two ago (I don't think it was the incident mentioned in the article). Good on him. I did judo there as a nipper and Ray was always a top bloke.

Here's the article:

QUICK thinking Northsiders saved the life of a 20-year-old who went into cardiac arrest on an all-weather football pitch.

Ray Stears, a certified first aider who runs Portmarnock Judo Club, was in the bar of the Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Centre (PSLC) at around 10pm last Thursday week (December 1) when the dramatic incident unfolded.

“Our judo club had just finished a training session,” Mr Stears told Northside People.

“The barman got a call to say there was a problem on the pitch. He told me a man was after having a seizure.

“When I ran down there was a young lad lying lifeless on the ground.

“I checked for a pulse. He wasn’t breathing and there was no heartbeat so I started CPR. I gave him breaths and chest compressions.

“John Russell, an assistant coach at my club, decided to follow me and brought a defibrillator. “Barry O’Dwyer, a lifeguard at the sports and leisure centre, also provided assistance.

“It was an unbelievable scene. All my training just kicked into gear.

“Barry was clearing the vomit and John was working with the defibrillator. It was great that they were there as it would have been very difficult for one person to do the whole lot.”

Mr Stears said that the reading on the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machine advised that a shock be given to the victim.

“When that was applied, he basically started gasping and I got a pulse,” he stated. “It was an incredible relief that he was alive and we managed to save him.

“Someone then handed me a phone and I was on to the emergency services giving them details from the defibrillator readings.

“They told me that we had done all the right things and we did a great job. We were working on him for about 20 minutes before the ambulance came.”

According to Mr Stears, if he had arrived at the scene 60 seconds later, it would have been too late.

“From the time the victim hits the ground, you only have four minutes to make an intervention and three of those had elapsed; that’s how tight it was,” he explained.

The man, who lives in Kinsealy, is in Beaumont Hospital.

“We’re delighted to say that he has no brain damage and will make a full recovery,” said Mr Stears.

“The man’s father was present and watching all of this. He had been playing in the football match with him. He was completely traumatised and very distressed.

“It’s very hard to describe how you’re feeling at the time and after the event when you get a result.

“The adrenalin is flying and your emotions are all over the place. It takes a while for it to all sink in.”

Ironically, only two weeks ago Ray and John did a course on Olympic Wrestling and two hours of it was devoted to a refresher in CPR and defibrillation.

“This was very timely and certainly helped,” said Ray who has been certified twice in first aid in the last two years.

“I would highly recommend that people do a first aid course and learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

“The more members of a club that do a first aid course the better. It’s not expensive to do a course.”

Incredibly, Ray was also involved in a dramatic lifesaving incident two years ago at the same location.

“A 33-year-old man collapsed on a treadmill at the leisure centre and I assisted Bobby O’Malley, an instructor at the centre, who saved him with the aid of a defibrillator,” he added.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Ray Stears, Portmarnock Judo Club.. Top bloke, fantastic coach.. Fair play Ray.

Ray doesn't post here, I can't even get him to look at facebook!. But I'll pass your thread along via an email.



John Russell, in blue in the photo is a blue belt under Ray and assist's with the junior's.

Jason McCabe

Fair play to ray I did judo with him around 2000 at portmarnock

Great club and good lads. Is Eugene, Tony and tinny still training??

arybvtcw0eolkf

Jason McCabe wrote: »

Fair play to ray I did judo with him around 2000 at portmarnock

Great club and good lads. Is Eugene, Tony and tinny still training??

Eugene is in Australia, Tony drops in on occassion and Timmy (is that blind and deaf Timmy?) is gone.

Jason McCabe

Yeah that timmy.

That Tony lad was like a bull. Had some neck on him. I remember a few classic stories he told

In one he was in a car crash and went out the skylight as he had no belt on. The driver had a broken back and he was the one who had to go seek help.

In another one his brother had got into a fight in a chippy and he grabbed someone and slammed them through a door. Don't think I'd be bumming if I got beat up by a blind man

Two very sound lads.

Eugene was some player and very good at giving advice to improve ur game

Sid_Justice

fair play to him well done ray

wayno

Well done ray top bloke !!!!

cowzerp

Fair play to them-good work

panjero

John Russell needs a mention here also.It was his instinctive thinking to bring the defribrallator that was of great assistance in saving the chap. Well done to all involved.

RedRaven

Great stuff fair play to all concerned.