A lifesaving defibrillator has been significantly damaged in an act of "mindless and disgraceful vandalism". The expensive piece of kit, installed on Newbridge Road Bridge, Aberavon, was removed from its cabinet and thrown into the nearby River Afan on Sunday, July 10.
The vandalism has been described as "disgraceful" by community members and South Wales Police are now investigating the incident. You can get more Welsh news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
A campaign to raise money for several defibrillators in Aberavon was started last September following the sudden and unexpected death of beloved family man Darren Phillips who sadly died of a fatal heart attack on his daily bike ride.
Read more: Aberavon Aqua Splash finally opens after seagull chaos
His sons Jack and Ryan wanted to prevent the tragedy from happening to anyone else and started an initial scheme to install defibrillators across the Aberavon seafront. The fundraising efforts grew following "overwhelming amounts of support", leading to a total of seven defibrillators being installed instead of their initial target of four. You can read more stories within Neath Port Talbot by clicking here.
Now calls are being made to educate individuals on the importance of the lifesaving equipment after one was discovered in the River Afan with safety precautions now being applied to the remaining six.
Councillor for Sandfields East, Sean Pursey helped set up the defibrillators and described the vandalism as "frustrating" as he alerted the area would be without the lifesaving equipment as they seek to replace or repair it.
Upon finding out about the news, Ryan Phillips, one of the founders of the scheme said he was "fuming" that the £1,500 piece of equipment can no longer be used.
"We are completely gutted by it, everyone involved is. We have purposely left the cabinets unlocked to save those vital seconds that could be the difference between life and death," he said. "We thought we could trust people to have the understanding of these machines but now we want more people to be aware of the importance of these machines and teach their children this is unacceptable."
The defibrillator is expected to be covered by a replacement scheme and efforts are now being directed to prevent the "disgraceful vandalism" from happening again. Individuals with any information on what happened or who might be involved can contact 101 quoting ref: 2200230831 or via email: SWP101@south-wales.police.uk.
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