Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For many of us, 'Staying Alive' by the Bee Gees is a song from the eighties, but this tune recently saved a man's life in my community. Dave Carroll works at the Northern Co-operative Meat Company in Casino and recently went into cardiac arrest whilst at work. I'd like to recognise and thank Darren Grimston, Darrell Schultz, Jason Keep, Luke Murphy and Steve Formaggian, who stepped up, put their training to use and saved Dave's life. The beat of 'Staying Alive' is how the men were taught to remember the timing of compressions to the chest to resuscitate the heart. Dave fell to the floor of the boning room with his sharpening knives. His heart stopped eight times. Luke rushed in and started CPR and sent Darrell to get the defibrillator. Darren had to run and get an oxygen tank from the first aid room. They'd only completed their safety training six weeks earlier and had only used a defibrillator on dummies. The men had to shock Dave's heart four times. For 30 minutes they kept reviving as his heart stopped and started. An ambulance arrived, and he later had surgery.

Dave is now back at work and exceptionally grateful for his mates who saved his life. I congratulate everyone involved, including the Bee Gees.