Heart heroes: Northamptonshire-based logistics firm installs defibrillators at all its depots

Heart heroes: Northamptonshire-based logistics firm installs defibrillators at all its depots
In a bid to provide lifesaving protection for its hundreds of team members, Panther Logistics has installed defibrillators at all its depots.

To ensure essential lifesaving first aid can be immediately administered at all its UK sites during a medical emergency, Panther Logistics has invested in defibrillator devices and specialist staff training at all its depots.

Crucially, the defibrillators will also be made available to emergency first responders and ambulance crews operating within every depot’s vicinity, should medics need access to them to help save a patient’s life.

Panther depots joining a nationwide network of defibrillators accessible to all emergency medical crews in the towns and cities where Panther’s businesses are based will potentially help save the lives of hundreds of more patients in urgent need of lifesaving medical intervention.

Panther’s lifesaving initiative was inspired by the experience of a father of three and successful businessman, who collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest while at a football session with friends following one of the pandemic lockdowns.

Tony Entwistle revealed how he was “dead” for a matter of minutes during the medical emergency at his football session at GOALS in Northampton.

He was brought back to life by the rapid response of GOALS General Manager Elliott Holmes, who was onsite when Tony collapsed and used the facility’s defibrillator to restart Tony’s heart during the dramatic on pitch incident. Elliott was assisted by former fireman, Ryan Grant, who happened to be playing on a pitch nearby and attended the medical emergency to administer critical CPR.

Hearing about Tony’s experience and how having immediate access to a defibrillator saved his life, inspired Panther Logistics to invest in installing the critical care devices at all the company’s depots nationwide.

Panther Logistics Sales Director, Samuel Scott, a longstanding friend of Elliott, said: “When Elliott told myself and Managing Director Gary McKelvey how he had been able to help save Tony’s life by using a defibrillator we knew immediately we had to have the devices in situ at all our sites.”

Tony, co-owner of Fed3 Projects, a construction project management consultancy based in Northampton, recalled how on the pitch he had experienced a “massive dizzy spell” and his legs had buckled beneath him before he collapsed.

He said: “I was actually dead. Thankfully Elliott was working that day and when he and Ryan quickly realized CPR wasn’t restarting my heart Elliott, who had previously had training, knew it was time to use the defibrillator. Having been officially dead for a number of minutes, Elliott managed to restart my heart using the device and they continued CPR until the ambulance crew arrived.

“Elliott and Ryan are my heart heroes, they saved my life – I nominated them for British Heart Foundation Awards and was delighted when they were announced as winners.

“Having heard about my personal story I think it is fantastic that Panther has installed defibrillators at all of the company’s depots. More than 30,000 people in the UK suffer cardiac arrests every year and if you are not near a defibrillator your chances of survival are tiny, I was lucky, I was in the right place at the right time.”

Elliott and Tony, who has since stopped playing football but now coaches youth teams and still enjoys an active lifestyle, went on to become firm friends following the incident.

Elliott said: “On the day it happened a call went out for a doctor as someone had collapsed on pitch. Just the day before I had refreshed my first aid training, including using a defibrillator and I took our onsite device with me when I rushed to the scene.

“Tony was unconscious and not breathing. Ryan arrived to support me administering CPR. I was determined; due to my GOALS training I knew what I had to do.

“When I told Samuel and Gary at Panther what had happened, they were blown away and took immediate steps to install defibrillators at all the company’s sites, which is great.”

Samuel added: “Defibrillators were installed at all our depots and 24 employees have undergone specialist training to ensure there is always someone on site that can use the device should it be needed.”