A kayaker’s life was saved thanks to the quick-thinking of his companions and the fast response of the emergency services.
South Lakes Polcie said they were called to the incident, on the outskirts of Sedbergh, on Sunday November 23.
The kayaker, was part of a recreational group and had gotten into difficulty on the water, near to Birks.
As a result, he was unresponsive.
CPR was commenced and a multi-agency response was initiated.
The first emergency service vehicle arrived on scene around five minutes after the call to 999 was made, police said.
South Lakes Police said: “In this case the outlook was bleak from the outset.
“Fortunately, other members of the kayak party were conversant with CPR, basic life support and had begun life saving actions without any hesitation with emergency services taking over and utilising a mobile defib machine to deliver the required shock.
“We’ll never know the impact of this early intervention directly other than to confirm that we have received confirmation that the man, who had been placed in an induced coma, was suffering with hypothermia and cardiac issues. But he was upright and talking to his loved ones from his hospital bed.
“The initial assessment of his critical condition had been downgraded.
“This incident serves as a very real reminder that anyone has the ability to preserve life. If you have the opportunity to learn CPR or basic first aid – please take it.
“When it comes to situations such as this, every second counts and the power is literally in your hands!
“We continue to be in awe of the swift and efficient actions of our emergency services colleagues within the ambulance (land and air) and fire service.
“We continue to send our best wishes to the casualty and hope his recovery is swift.”
