Unichem Pharmacy in Springvale, Whanganui hunts missing defibrillator

Unichem Pharmacy co-owner Adam Holmes next to the plaque commemorating Craig Merrick. Photo / Bevan Conley

A donated defibrillator has gone missing from a window at Unichem Pharmacy in Springvale.

Pharmacy owner Melina Holmes said both the machine and its box had disappeared.

She said she hoped someone had taken it to use in an emergency as opposed to being “a bit devious” and stealing it.

The equipment was donated by the family of Whanganui man Craig Merrick, who died after a heart attack in 2019.

Through the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator), Merrick’s family was able to have a week spent by his side in Wellington’s intensive care unit before his life support was switched off.

Merrick lived around the corner from the pharmacy and the defibrillator has been on its window since 2020.

Holmes said it couldn’t be used unless someone’s heart was in trouble.

“It won’t give you a shock unless you need a shock. It’s of no use to anyone, really,” she said.

“We are really hoping it’s been used to save someone’s life. That would be absolutely fantastic.

“In our wildest dreams, we never thought someone would steal a defib.”

AEDs pass a brief electrical current through the heart so the body’s natural pacemaker can re-establish a proper rhythm.

The Unichem AED went missing between December 7 and 18, Holmes said.

“Everything inside [the box] has the Unichem label on it.

“You just hope someone’s used it and it just hasn’t made it back yet.”

Holmes said the defibrillator had been used once since it was installed.

Unichem covers the costs of maintenance and checks for the machine and has just ordered a new battery and pads for it.

“Even if it saves one life, it’s worth its weight in gold,” she said.

“It’s not owned by us, the family owns it, we just provide the building.

“If it has been stolen, it’s someone in the community being ripped off, not a business.”

Holmes said the biggest fear now was that someone needed the defibrillator “and now it’s not there”.

She said Merrick’s family had been notified of the AED’s disappearance.

Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.