logo
Call for defibrillator at Keepers Pond near drowning

Call for defibrillator at Keepers Pond near drowning

Local Torfaen councillor Janet Jones is calling for a defibrillator to be installed at the popular tourist spot.
Janet believes this is imperative before a 'fatality' occurs and that last week's incident involving a 27-year-old man who nearly drowned to death should be the wakeup call needed to spur this into motion.
Torfaen councillor Janet Jones who thinks a defibrillator should be installed near the pond (Image: Torfaen Council) Addressing the subject Janet said: 'Greater action regarding safety needs to be taken now before there is a fatality.
'May I thank everyone involved in the recent incident for their prompt response, their actions saved this man's life.'
Welsh Tourist Spot Keepers Pond where a man nearly drowned (Image: NQ) She continued: 'Over the past few year's leisure activities in and around the Keepers Pond have increased significantly, but with that comes concerns for public safety.
'During two meeting with Management partners and commoners at the Keepers Pond, the last one in April, also attended by my fellow councillor Nick Horler, I reiterated my concerns and again asked that a defibrillator be installed. Some present, were worried about possible vandalism of a defibrillator.
'I also raised my concerns at a steering committee meeting of the World Heritage Group held 12th June, and I was led to understand that my concerns would once again be brought to the attention of relevant officers.'
Welsh Tourist Spot Keepers Pond where a man nearly drowned (Image: NQ) Currently there are defibrillators at Blaenavon Fire Station and the Blaenavon Blues Football Club however are situated a fair bit away from the Keepers Pond.
Janet said: 'Unless you are a local resident, and know where these are situated, this could be costly when trying to save a life.'
Monmouthshire Council responsible for the upkeep of the site were contacted for comment.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Senedd hears allied health professionals ‘undervalued'
Senedd hears allied health professionals ‘undervalued'

South Wales Argus

time2 hours ago

  • South Wales Argus

Senedd hears allied health professionals ‘undervalued'

Mabon ap Gwynfor said allied health professionals (AHPs) – more than a dozen professions from paramedics to radiographers – make up around a quarter of the NHS workforce. But Plaid Cymru's shadow health secretary told the Senedd that allied health professionals are 'constantly undervalued' and receive 'far too little attention'. Mr ap Gwynfor called on the Welsh Government to develop a long-term workforce strategy as he led a debate on a motion backed by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. He said: 'Wales invests in training the next generation of AHPs, yet shockingly, many of them are unable to secure employment…. These are highly skilled, motivated individuals trained at public expense but often left underemployed or forced to leave Wales for work.' Senedd members warned of the 'postcode lottery', with Mr ap Gwynfor saying: 'Too often, your ability to access life-changing support depends on where you live, not what you need.' The Society of Radiographers has warned of a chronic shortage of radiographers across the NHS, with an average department vacancy rate of 15 per cent. Wales also has fewer speech and language therapists per head than anywhere else in the UK and trains only 55 a year. The Conservatives' Mark Isherwood said: 'To make matters worse, the youth justice board for England and Wales reports that 71 per cent of sentenced children have speech, language or communication difficulties, showing just how important these services are.' Labour's John Griffiths echoed concerns about the barriers many patients face when accessing health care, including limited provision and long waiting times in some areas. Jeremy Miles, Wales' health secretary, agreed about the need to invest to nurture and develop the workforce, describing AHPs as the 'heartbeat of the health service'. He told Senedd members there are more allied health professionals working in the NHS in Wales than ever before, with a 12 per cent increase in the past three years. Mr Miles drew attention to an extra £5m the Welsh Government made available to health boards every year from April 2023 to create more AHP posts. 'More than 100 additional full-time equivalent AHPs and support workers have been employed as a direct result of that additional investment,' he said. The Senedd voted 31-0, with 16 abstentions, in favour of the motion following the debate

Pontypool dad nearly choked to death at Father's Day meal
Pontypool dad nearly choked to death at Father's Day meal

South Wales Argus

time9 hours ago

  • South Wales Argus

Pontypool dad nearly choked to death at Father's Day meal

Derek Parker, 66, had been enjoying a special meal with his family at the Harvester restaurant in Pontypool on Sunday, June 15. However, this joyous occasion took a turn for the worst when Derek started choking on a mouthful of his steak. Luckily for Derek the Pontypool community helped him and his family during this frighting ordeal. The Parker family out for a family meal (Left dad Derek Parker 66 with wife Susan Parker 67) (Right daughter Amy Parker 30 and brother Matthew Parker 31) (Image: Amy Parker) Speaking of the traumatic experience Derek said: 'I had the steak and on my second mouthful I couldn't get it back up. 'Our son (Matthew) did the Heimlich manoeuvre on me and managed to dislodge some of it. He has Autism, so he did very well but he was afraid he'd hurt me, but I was still choking.' Derek continued: 'Apparently this little boy ran up to his mother and said a man has fallen down and a woman came over. She was an off-duty nurse.' Thankfully for Derek and his family, the off-duty nurse was in the right place at the right time. Derek Parker and Wife Susan Parker outside their Pontypool home with a card and bunch of flowers gifted to them by the Pontypool Harvester team. (Image: NQ) Derek explained: 'She took over and I remember someone saying to me can you open your eyes, can you open your mouth. I couldn't do either. 'The next thing I remember was them lifting me into the ambulance and I had a quick scan in the Grange, and I was rushed up stairs for surgery.' Staff at the hospital thought the food had penetrated Derek's lungs. Rapidly responding to the incident, doctors performed an emergency surgery on Derek to help flush any food, vomit or blood out of his lungs. Derek has since fully recovered from the incident. The card written to Derek and his family from the Pontypool Harvester team. (Image: NQ) Derek's daughter Amy Parker, 30, witnessed her father choking in front of her. She told the Argus her account of events. 'It's a horrible feeling on any day but especially on Father's Day. I thought my dad was dying in front of me. 'At one point I could see he was coughing. I kept saying are you okay? Do you need a drink? Then the drink came through his nose, and he started turning blue. I was panicking. 'I couldn't remember how to do the Heimlich manoeuvre so I shouted out can somebody help.' Amy continued: 'Everyone was so helpful, one woman named Amelia helped calm my brother outside, another man named Stephen offered to pay for our meal which Harvester gave us for free. 'Louise the nurse was brilliant, she talked to the 999 operator and was telling me different things and reassuring me.' The family are incredibly grateful for the support given to them through this terrible ordeal. Derek said: 'I want to thank all the people involved. Many people moved their tables for me because I was on the floor. I was lucky.' Amy added: 'I will forever be grateful for everyone's help and support that we received during this difficult time. 'From the moment he started choking, up until when he got discharged the following evening, we could not fault the care and support we received. 'I genuinely thought I'd lose my dad on that day, but I'm so thankful he's still here with us, and that's down to all the action and care we received during this difficult time.'

My memory blips and headaches were a tumour that deformed my skull over 15 years, says Hollyoaks actor
My memory blips and headaches were a tumour that deformed my skull over 15 years, says Hollyoaks actor

Scottish Sun

time12 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

My memory blips and headaches were a tumour that deformed my skull over 15 years, says Hollyoaks actor

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLLYOAKS actor Craig Russell says he "nearly died" due to a lime-sized brain tumour that grew undetected for more than a decade and 'deformed' his skull. The 48-year-old first noticed he was experiencing memory loss, confusion, migraines and brain fog in September 2022. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Craig Russell, 48, began experiencing headaches and memory blips in 2022 10 They were caused by a benign brain tumour that had been growing for 15 years 10 Craig underwent surgery to remove the tumour and rebuild his 'deformed' skull By January 2023, Craig was "all over the place" and his wife Kate, 40, urged him to get his symptoms checked out by a GP. Tests showed the Welsh actor, writer and producer - known for his roles in TV shows such as Hollyoaks and Netflix's Queen Cleopatra - was going blind in his left eye. Meanwhile, a non-cancerous tumour the size of a squashed lime was found growing in his brain, so large it was 'deforming' his skull. 'It stopped me in my tracks, I never thought it would happen to me,' Craig - who lives in Falmouth, Cornwall with Kate and their two sons - said. Doctors reckoned it could have been growing slowly for 15 years. Craig underwent a risky operation to get rid of the mass and rebuild damaged parts of his skull in March 2023, which could have killed him or left him blind. 'There was a very real chance I wouldn't survive the operation because one little mistake and that's it, or at best I could come out blind or have a stroke," the actor said. The actor suffered complications following the surgery but has since recovered fully and has been able to finish his latest film, Protein, that's been 10 years in the making. 'Someone asked me if I thought I'd ever see the film finished, which was a sobering idea as I nearly died before it came out,' Craig said. 'I'm so glad I was there to see it, so I just have a lot of pride for everyone involved. Beaming Davina McCall reveals she's got all clear from brain tumour after life-saving surgery 'I feel lucky to have had a brain tumour in a way because I've learnt so much about life, people and resilience.' In September 2022, Craig noticed he was experiencing out-of-character symptoms – such as memory loss, confusion, migraines and brain fog. He also heard a 'whooshing' sound emerge from the back of his head when producing a scream during filming for the movie Edge of Summer, which 'nearly caused [him] to collapse'. Craig was told by doctors that they'd "found something" in his brain after his GP visit in January 2023. 10 Craig was diagnosed with a meningioma 10 The actor was stunned at his diagnosis 10 He praised his wife Kate, 40, for her 'unwavering support' 10 Craig feared he'd die before seeing his new film Protein completed He was referred for further MRI scans towards the end of February and the actor was told he had a large, non-cancerous tumour growing in his brain, roughly the size of a squashed lime. Doctors suspected the tumour was a meningioma – a benign tumour that forms in the layers of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. This diagnosis was confirmed after his surgery. 'The tumour got so big it pushed my skull up and out, it deformed the back of my head,' Craig said. He was told the best course of action was to surgically remove the mass, but there could be risks. Symptoms of a benign brain tumour A benign brain tumour is a mass of cells that grows relatively slowly in the brain. Benign means it in not cancerous. Non-cancerous brain tumours tend to stay in one place and do not spread. Some slow-growing tumours may not cause any symptoms at first. When symptoms occur, it's because the tumour is putting pressure on the brain and preventing a specific area of the brain from working properly. As the tumour grows and increases pressure in the skull, you might experience: New, persistent headaches that are sometimes worse in the morning or when bending over or coughing Feeling sick all the time Drowsiness Vision problems, such as blurred or double vision, loss of part of your visual field and temporary vision loss Epileptic seizures that may affect the whole body, or you may just have a twitch in one area See a GP if you develop any of these symptoms. They'll examine you and ask about your symptoms. If they suspect you may have a tumour or are not sure what's causing your symptoms, they may refer you to a brain and nerve specialist for further investigation. Source: NHS 'My surgeon explained my tumour had been growing there for about 15 years, and it appeared to have enveloped all the important stuff I needed to survive,' the actor said. Craig's seven-hour operation on March 6 2023, at the Derriford Hospital in Plymouth involved cutting away a piece of his skull, which had become damaged by the tumour. From there, the tumour was removed and part of his skull was rebuilt from a plastic-concrete mix, held in place by bolts, before everything was sealed with '55 staples' into his scalp. Thankfully, the surgery was a success and the tumour was removed in its entirety. After suffering subsequent complications with swelling and excess fluid building up on his brain, Craig said he has since made a full recovery, finding weight-lifting helped the fluid to drain naturally. 'My head still hurts occasionally but I'm now back to full health,' Craig said. 'Listen to your body' In March 2024, Craig spoke in parliament to call on the UK Government to release more funding for research into the disease, and in September that year, he became an ambassador for Brain Tumour Research to champion for others impacted. New treatments for meningiomas, could be on the horizon, as researchers at the University of Plymouth have identified a protein that plays a significant role in their growth, according to Brain Tumour Research. By blocking the protein, researchers were able to slow or halt tumour cell growth in laboratory settings, unlocking the potential for new treatments, which Craig said is 'a big step forward'. Craig's latest film, Protein, which is currently out in select cinemas, marked an emotional experience for the actor as there was a chance he may not have seen the film's release. Protein is in select cinemas now and will be released on digital platforms from July 14. The actor is urging others to pay attention to worrying symptoms. 'If I had truly listened to my body, this would have all been done and dusted years ago – so if you think you've got something wrong, please just go and see your doctor.' 10 Craig spoke in parliament to call for more funding into brain tumour research 10 Craig has made a full recovery despite some initial complications

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store