Ben Ayres, a 44-year-old Queenslander, was a few hours from death as his body succumbed to toxins. This was the first of what should have been a normal Saturday morning workout. Ayres hadn’t very much noticed breathlessness until during a stress test, when he started exercising on a treadmill. At first, he shrugged off the pain, soldiering through his exercise routine. He had no idea that his decision would spark a climactic moment. This unprecedented moment would surely test the resolve of the community and the courage of emergency responders.
Ayres would experience tightness in his chest upon arriving home. When he started to feel “a little funny” in the shower, he realized it was time to go to the hospital. He even detailed a bag to prepare for his stay there and called good friend and neighbor, Claire Harkett, to come give him a ride. Luckily, Harkett’s timing was perfect, as Ayres lost consciousness only minutes after their chat.
Quick Response Saves Lives
As soon as Claire Harkett arrived at Ben Ayres‘s house, she started using her Girl Guide skills without even thinking.
“My Girl Guide instincts kicked in — I put him in the recovery position, and it all happened very fast from there, because he stopped breathing,” – Claire Harkett.
Recounting the moment, Harkett quickly got in touch with emergency services, who walked her through everything she would need to do. She kept Ayres alive by doing CPR on her for approximately 12 minutes until paramedics finally arrived on scene. Her fast action was instrumental in getting Ayres the life-saving emergency care he required.
Paramedic Chris Beadnell applauded the teamwork that helped save Ayres’s life. He stressed the need for Harkett to move quickly. He was quick to praise the smoothness of the whole survival chain from treatment to rescue.
“This is a really great case of showing the chain of survival in cardiac arrest working — so all those factors actually occurred in this case and we’ve had an excellent outcome with Ben,” – Chris Beadnell.
Emergency Care Protocols
When paramedics arrived, they shocked Ayres with a defibrillator within 45 seconds, a critical intervention that saved his life by restarting his pulse. Beadnell warned that it was vital for communities to know resuscitation techniques. He highlighted the need to be aware of where defibrillators are located.
“It’s really important for people to understand learning resuscitation, finding access to defibrillators in the community and knowing where they are,” – Chris Beadnell.
Paramedics didn’t waste time and immediately pulled out all medical equipment needed. Their swift action was able to restore Ayres after his left anterior descending artery was 100% blocked. He later went in for emergency surgery to have a stent placed.
Grateful for a Second Chance
After going through such a terrifying experience, Ben Ayres was truly thankful for those who aided in his survival.
“How do you thank people enough that have saved your life?” – Ben Ayres.
He was equally enthusiastic when it came to sharing his journey back to health. He was deeply grateful just to be alive, and with his family again.
“I’m here with my two kids and my beautiful wife and I’m essentially living a normal life now,” – Ben Ayres.
Chris Beadnell spoke as well, an FCMHI fellow who echoed the idea that being prepared is essential when responding to emergencies. He emphasized that had any part of their survival chain broken down, the result might have been tragically different.
“We’re extremely lucky that all of those things happened in sequence — because of that we’ve had a really positive outcome,” – Chris Beadnell.
