Hotel raises £3k for public defibrillator on Gorey Pier

A Jersey hotelier says they were shocked into taking action to provide a heart-starting machine for Gorey Pier when a resident suffered a medical emergency on Christmas Eve.

An online crowdfunding appeal has raised £3,000 to put a public access defibrillator amongst the restaurants and shops in the harbour village beneath Mont Orgueil castle.

Iselin Jones from The Moorings Hotel & Restaurant says they'd been hosting Christmas Eve lunch for 100 guests when one of their residents at the hotel suddenly fell ill.

She told Channel 103 that all her staff are trained in CPR, but they could not locate the area's available defibrillator before the ambulance arrived.

Happily, the situation with the poorly guest ended well, but it prompted the business owners to set up a fundraiser to buy a defibrillator that will be put in the underpass and available to the public 24/7.

"We're one of the most visited tourist attractions in the summer months, and feel that there really should be a centrally-located defibrillator available."

The nearest recorded public defibrillators are:

• Grouville Co-op,
• St Martin Public Hall,
• St Catherine's
• And, the Driftwood Cafe.

However, after the incident, they discovered there is another defibrillator, which is not listed on any map, at the far end of Gorey Pier, close to the fishermen's area.

Mrs Jones says it is important that the public has 24-hour access to the life-saving equipment, and that they know where to find them.

She told Channel 103 she would like to see a comprehensive database of publicly accessible defibrillators.

"I've spoken to charities about the need for this, I've spoken to people who do first aid training about this, and it seems to be something that is really lacking in the island.

"Perhaps this can be a gentle nudge in creating something like that."

Jersey has more than 84 public access defibrillators placed outside parish halls and other prominent locations, visitor attractions and businesses.

Jersey Heart Support Group has a map on its website, while AED (Automated External Defibrillator) supplier Heartsafe maps locations of 24/7 and limited access devices across the British Isles.

A list of 45 government-maintained defibrillators, with Google Maps co-ordinates can be found here.

 Iselin and Matthew Jones from the Moorings Hotel and Restaurant on Gorey Pier.

The Moorings' fundraising total was smashed within an hour and half, with Iselin Jones and husband Matthew putting up the first £500.

She says they have enough money to 'buy the best there is' and anything left over will be given to St John Ambulance.