Ian Thomas (centre) says he owes his life to fast actions of David Harrison (left)and Harry Maas.
By Paul Dunlop
FAST-thinking by two people delivered Ian Thomas a “miracle”.
Now others are being urged to learn similar life-saving skills.
Mr Thomas is making a strong and steady recovery from a serious cardiac arrest at this year’s Pakenham Show.
The Star News Group owner collapsed suddenly while having a coke after a long day working at the show in March.
Mr Thomas said he owed his life to the quick response of two show committee colleagues, the efforts of medical professionals, and to the support and prayers of family and hundreds of friends.
“I just feel the whole thing is a miracle,” Mr Thomas said.
“To have the people around me that I had at the time, and the response from the community ever since, it is just incredible, absolutely overwhelming.”
Mr Thomas spoke for the first time about the incident to help promote a News campaign encouraging residents to learn basic first-aid.
Mr Thomas said he would not be alive if not for the pair, whose first-aid knowledge and calm in a crisis brought him back from the brink.
Harry Maas and David Harrison were beside Mr Thomas within seconds of his collapse.
Experienced rescue volunteers, they immediately began performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and continued to help after paramedics arrived.
Mr Thomas was taken to Dandenong and spent eight days in intensive care before later moving to Knox hospital. He continues to have rehabilitation.
Mr Maas, a CFA member for 20 years, and Mr Harrison, a member of Pakenham Road Rescue Unit, are experienced rescue workers and knew immediately what to do.
Their efforts have been held up as a perfect example of how, with training, lives can be saved.
Pakenham ambulance team manager Simon Thompson said Mr Maas and Mr Harrison definitely made the difference.
“They saved Ian’s life, no doubt about that,” he said.
The pair said the training they had helped keep their minds focused on the task at hand.
“This is still a small town so you often know people but you have still got to go about your job in the right way,” Mr Maas said.
“You’d like to think that someone else out there is prepared to help if you ever had an accident.”
Mr Maas and Mr Harrison are modest about their actions in saving Mr Thomas but deserved all the praise they get, Pakenham Ambulance team manager Simon Thompson said.
Mr Thompson said he strongly supported the Star News Group’s move to promote the value of CPR in the community.
“Basic CPR is not hard to learn, it is a very simple skill and look at the reward,” he said.
Mr Thompson said Mr Maas and Mr Harrison and others like them were a priceless asset in the community.
“They used their abilities to do the right thing at the right time.”
>>> Do you have a story relating to CPR? If so, let the News editorial team know on 5945 0666 or email editor@starnewsgroup.com.au
