Man thanks Road Policing officers for helping to save his life in Aberdeen
Road policing officers in the North-East saved a man’s life after using a defibrillator that was donated by a couple whose son died after being involved in a collision.
The officers, PC Tim Addy and PC Dave Robb, were on patrol in Aberdeen on 27 February when they were flagged down at a layby in the Bridge of Don on the A92 by members of the public who had stopped to help James Geraghty. Mr Geraghty had stopped breathing and was receiving CPR when the officers stopped to help. They successfully used their defibrillator and continued to provide first aid until Mr Geraghty was taken by Ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The defibrillator is one of 10 in the North East that were donated by Sandra and Gordon McKandie following the collision that claimed the life of their only son, Keiran, aged 16, on 20 March, 2016. An additional six defibrillators are in Road Policing vehicles across Highland and Islands Division. They are deployed in cases of out of hospital cardiac arrests in support of Scottish Ambulance Service colleagues.
Since being installed in police emergency response vehicles across the North East Division on 1 February, 2017, officers with the defibrillators have been deployed 71 times and they have been used on 24 occasions.
James Geraghty, who has since recovered from the incident, said: “I can’t thank enough everyone who stopped to help when I took unwell, including the members of the public who stopped as well as PCs Addy and Robb. My thanks must also go to Keiran’s Legacy for providing the lifesaving equipment and I also want to pay tribute to the Scottish Ambulance Service and staff at NHS Grampian who looked after me.”
Sandra McKandie from Keiran's Legacy said: "Keiran's Legacy is delighted that one of the defibrillators supplied by Keiran's Legacy was used to save Mr Geraghty's life. and that he has got time to spend with his family that could have otherwise been very different.
"This continues our relationship with Police Scotland and we hope this will be a catalyst to roll out further defibrillators to the other police divisions across Scotland.
"Keiran's Legacy is committed to continuing to work with the police to make this a reality and hope that this can occur in a timely manner to ensure equity across Scotland which will undoubtedly continue to save further lives in Keiran's name.
"We wish Mr Geraghty and his family good health and happiness for the future and hope to meet them in person soon."
PCs Addy and Robb said: “This incident proves how invaluable it is being able to carry a defibrillator with us when out on patrol. We were flagged down by members of the public within moments of the gentleman taking unwell and that ability to utilise the device almost immediately will have helped save his life.
“We arrived at the scene, saw the gentleman lying on the ground and our training immediately kicked in.
“This was a distressing incident for the family, with his young son and wife watching their loved one being worked on. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending.”
