While climbing Croagh Patrick with his family during a short break in Westport last summer, Darren Forde noticed the absence of defibrillators on the mountain itself. He realised that the predominant barrier was the extreme weather and temperature ranges on the mountain, which could not sustain an AED or lifesaving medication such as Aspirin or Epi-Pens.
The roads engineer with Mayo County Council, who is a community first responder in his local area of Hollymount, identified an urgent need for the defibrillators on the mountain itself. Within a matter of weeks, thanks to the generosity of local sponsors, he received the €8,000 to purchase two machines (each with their own solar-powered cabinet) one of which will be located halfway up the mountain with the other one at the chapel on the summit.
The necessary funding of €8,000 was provided by James Murray (CEO of Murray Ambulances), Anne Corcoran (owner of Westport Hotel Group), Dave Greville (Managing Director of Heart Safety Solutions), and a local family who donated the existing defibrillator at the base of the mountain. He quickly set about designing two defibrillators, each of which has their own cabinet.
Darren supervised the installation of the lifesaving units on the Reek in June 2022. The unique defibrillators, made locally, are connected to the emergency services, so that they know the location
during a cardiac event. The machines are solar powered, which will allow them to be charged without electricity in the summer months, and he is now looking at ways to power them during the winter.
“There were three cardiac arrests on the Reek in the last five years and two of them sadly passed away. The third was defibrillated because it was Reek Sunday, but there wouldn’t have been a defibrillator there otherwise, and it saved their life,” Darren said. “It’s so important to have a defibrillator when a cardiac event happens. Good CPR and a defibrillator in place will save someone’s life,” he added.
