A GAA REFEREE is in a stable condition in hospital after he collapsed during a senior football match in Newry last night, the Irish News reports (print edition).
Maeve Connolly writes that one of Longstone GAA’s backroom team used a pitch-side defibrillator when Gabriel Tumelty, 46, collapsed towards the end of the club’s game against Burren in Pairc Esler.
Though an ambulance arrived within minutes of being called, a Down County Board spokesman said afterwards that the situation could have been worse if there had been no on-site medical equipment.
In 2007, the GAA launched a nationwide initiative to provide Automated External Defibrillators (AED) at every county ground for use by trained personnel.
Well done the GAA for a policy that will save lifes. Now all the other sports should do the same.
This just goes to show the importance of defibrillators, fair play to the GAA.
How can people click thumbs down, the AED probably saved that man’s life and every sporting venue should have one.