Memorial defibrillator presented at Virginia Lake

Terry Coxon, Virginia Lake Trust chairman, with Caroline Lidgard, mayor Andrew Tripe, trustee Nobby Bullock, George MacLachlan (an old Bridge mate of John's) and trust treasurer Julie Gaisford with, in front of their mum, John’s grandchildren Beth and Gwen.

Virginia Lake Trust has handed over to Mayor Andrew Tripe the defibrillator recently installed in the entrance to the Winter Gardens.

The need for this equipment became very obvious to the trust’s chairman, Terry Coxon, when late last November he took John Lidgard, a lake volunteer, for coffee to Funky Ducks, where he sadly collapsed and later died in spite of valiant attempts by two leaders of Whanganui Enterprises Ltd and ambulance and fire crew, who worked on him for an hour. No Defibrillator was available anywhere near the site.

Winter Gardens in Whanganui, where the defibrillator is located inside.

Following the tragic event, the trust considered the installation of a defibrillator and, by a stroke of good fortune, discovered that John’s daughter Caroline was on the marketing team at Amtech Medical Supplies in Whanganui, one of NZ’s largest importers of defibrillators.

Amtech came to the party by donating the secure box, which is opened by making a 111 call, as well as remembering John on the box and giving an extremely generous staff discount for the machine inside.

On Sunday, April 28, the mayor graciously accepted this gift on behalf of his citizens and was warm in his praise of the trust and particularly its volunteers, of which John was but one, who work around the lake two mornings every month.

Tripe pointed out that one in three New Zealanders die of heart problems, so ease of early access to a defibrillator is vital in an event. Without wishing anyone harm, he said he does hope this one can save lives.