A 72-year-old grandfather is lucky to be alive after suffering a massive heart attack at the Farrer League grand final on Saturday.
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Roger Skeers was watching his grandson, Brayden Skeers, 22, take on Marrar in the decider when he went into cardiac arrest.
A nearby nurse called triple zero when she saw him slumped in his chair.
Despite seeing the situation unfold on the other side of the field, Wayne Skeers was unaware it was his father.
“I had a missed call from Dad just before 3pm, but I didn’t see it until 3:35pm then when I tried to call back he didn’t answer,” Wayne Skeers said. “I heard the sirens but didn’t realise it was him. They called over the loudspeaker too and asked for a doctor.”
Several doctors were present, watching the adjacent netball game. Dr John Preddy was joined by another recently registered doctor. Marrar Bombers trainer Michael Walker also came to the 72-year-old’s aid, running the length of Robertson Oval to retrieve the field’s public defibrillator.
“He gave Dad [the defibrillator] to get him going again, and the nurse said later that was the absolute godsend. I just can’t thank them enough,” said Wayne Skeers.
Roger Skeers was immediately taken to Wagga Base Hospital, but has since been transferred to Calvary Hospital. He was later deemed to have suffered a cardiac attack at the highest medical level.
This was the second serious heart-related episode he has lived through, having had a triple bypass in June, 2013.
The Skeers family has expressed relief that the incident happened when and where it did.
“It could have happened going there, or coming back from the game, or in the car and that’s a bit scary,” Wayne Skeers said. “But because they were there to help, he can come back from this and tell us all about it.”
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Travis Downie, founder of Wagga’s Defib for Life, has campaigned since 2016 to have 22 defibrillators added to sports ovals, schools and community halls in the city.
Being that September 17 marks the beginning of Arterial Fibrillation Awareness Week, he says it is a timely reminder.
“Without them there, the outcome wouldn’t be good, so this weekend is a really big success story,” said Mr Downie.
“If you have it installed and you never use it, it’s not big loss. But if you don’t have one when you need one, mate I can tell you, it makes all the difference.”