A NORTH Berwick Golf Club member’s harrowing experience has caused the club to install a new life-saving defibrillator at the famous West Links.

Gordon Moodie recently suffered a cardiac arrest on the golf course and was saved by the swift intervention of greenkeeper Liam Nicholson, who resuscitated Gordon using an automated external defibrillator (AED), stabilising him until ambulance staff arrived.

Gordon has welcomed the new defibrillator and said it would provide emergency coverage across the entire course.

He said: “I am very pleased to see the club install a new defibrillator at the far end of the course. The club has had one for a number of years but it’s almost two miles away from this new location.

“So, if anyone does have a cardiac arrest or similar out here, this defibrillator would be close at hand, and hopefully reached in time to do the necessary and help save lives.

“My own life was saved on a golf course because there was a defibrillator brought out to where I was very quickly, and because the greenkeepers all had training in the use of them, as well as being confident in using them. That made all the difference for me.”

The club has added the new AED to the driving range facility, between the seventh and 11th greens. The existing AED on the first tee was more than two miles from the far reaches of the links.

Elaine McBride, the club’s general manager, said: “We are delighted to welcome our second AED to the West Links. If a defibrillator is used within three to five minutes after a cardiac arrest, the chance of survival is increased from six per cent to 74 per cent.”