New machine installed in Seaham could save lives

Situated in the Seaham Harbour Marina Activity Centre car park, the new machine is the only one that can be accessed 24/7 in the town.

The defibrillator was installed thanks to funding from Durham County Councillors Kevin Shaw and Leanne Kennedy’s neighbourhood budgets.

The councillors contributed a total of £1,500 from their budgets to the Seaham Harbour Community Interest Company. The total cost of the project was £2,496 with the difference provided by Seaham Marina.

Recent developments at the marina, such as the opening of the Seaham Harbour Marina Activity Centre, have prompted the installation due to a continuous increase in visitor numbers.

Lisa Simpson, the Seaham Marina manager, said: “We have seen an increasing amount of visitors coming to the marina year after year, which is really fantastic.

“Hopefully we will never have to use the defibrillator, but we want to make sure people feel confident enough to if it was necessary. I can’t stress how easy these machines are to use, and how important CPR can be to someone suffering from a cardiac arrest.”

John Murphy, East Durham AAP coordinator, said: “It’s important for everyone to know that we have this vital piece of equipment located next to one of our most visited areas in the county.

“The installation of this machinery is something the East Durham AAP is very proud to support.”