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For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 16 April 2024 at 20:08
A family from Bedfordshire have praised staff from EEAST and lifeguards from a swimming pool after saving their son’s life when he suffered a cardiac arrest while swimming.
Cade Ewington, 11, was at a school swimming lesson on the 6th June at Lewsey Simming Pool when he was found face down in the water. Life guards quickly pulled his from the water and began CPR before ambulance clinicians were on scene minutes later.
Paramedic Michael Harnell and Student Paramedic Sarah Wright were first on scene. Michael said: “Enroute to the job it was confirmed as a cardiac arrest and at that moment adrenaline shot through my body. However we devised a fluid plan of action which looking back now was key in improving Cade’s chances of survival.”
They were shortly followed by colleagues Julia Horswell, Cath Fry, Emily Wallis, and Critical Care Paramedic Chris Martin, who all assisted with CPR and care of Cade. After 25 minutes of CPR and two shocks with a defibrillator Cade’s heart restarted.
This week (Wednesday, 6th July), Cade and his family were reunited with the ambulance crews under much happier circumstances.
Cade’s father Mark Ewington said: “We will forever be indebted to these guys who saved Cade’s life, including the lifeguards; it shows how important basic CPR is.”
Chris said: “Cades recovery is truly inspirational. For anyone to suffer a cardiac arrest and be actively resuscitated for as long as he was and return home to his parents two weeks later the same happy, smiling and active little boy he was before the event is a testament to Cades determination, the chain of survival that fell in to place and the hard work of the NHS staff that provided his care.”
Mark added: “It was the unluckiest day of our lives but also the luckiest, the chain of survival from the actions of the life guards through to the ambulance to GOSH was done with the utmost care and professionalism.”
Published 11th July, 2016