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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Keiran Fleming

Strangers save 33-year-old man's life when he suffers cardiac arrest at Mugdock Park

Two women saved the life of a stranger when he suffered a cardiac arrest on a day out with his sister.

Gillian Glenroy and Lesley Knox battled to keep Sean McMenemy alive with 30 minutes of CPR when he collapsed while visiting Abies Loch, next to Mugdock Park.

When paramedics arrived at the Milngavie scene they used a defibrillator to shock the 33-year-old's heart back into rhythm and rushed him to hospital.

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Thankfully Sean made a full recovery, and now his family has donated a defibrillator to the park in the hope it might help others.

The drama unfolded as Sean and Carla enjoyed a day out at the beauty spot.

Several bystanders rushed to his aid when he collapsed then went into cardiac arrest.

Sean was taken to the Intensive Care Unit at the Golden Jubilee Hospital, where he spent several weeks fighting for his life.

When he returned home, Carla along with Gillian and Lesley, decided to raise funds to ensure that the life-saving equipment will be on hand at Mugdock Park, to support others who find themselves in peril.

Yesterday, the loving sister, mum Alison alongside and heroes Gillian and Lesley, returned to the place where they nearly lost Sean to see the defibrillator be installed.

Carla said: “We decided to fundraise because a cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any age, at any time. However, early intervention CPR and defibrillation can increase a person’s chance of surviving.

"Sean was 33 years old when it happened to him and he was one of the lucky one in 10 to survive. Defibrillators are crucial to be able to have a chance of bringing someone back following a cardiac arrest. When you use a defibrillator in addition to quality CPR, the odds of someone’s survival can jump from around six per cent to 74 per cent - an incredible difference.

“Mugdock Park and Dumbrock Loch are rural but have massive footfall all year round. When we realised there was no defibrillator on site it was a no-brainer to fundraise to get one.

"I am so grateful to those individuals who played a part in saving my brother's life and I just wanted to pay that forward.

“We would like to thank every single person who donated and supported this life saving cause. We are truly grateful for everyone’s kindness and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

They raised money by organising a special CPR awareness event at Mugdock Park featuring Trossachs Search and Rescue. Those who attended were able to not only learned how to potentially save a life, but also play games and take part in yoga, face painting and tombola, as well as enjoy a BBQ.

Chair of Mugdock Park Management Committee, Councillor Jim Gibbons said: “This is an amazing gesture from Sean’s family and friends and we cannot thank them enough.

“Mugdock Park is a much-loved place and people from all over Scotland and beyond visit us each year. We strive to make the park an enjoyable and safe place for everyone to spend time in and having access to a defibrillator is just another measure that is in place to ensure the safety of our visitors.”

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