Community / Anonymous donor thanked as Lerwick lifeboat station gets defibrillator

It has been part-funded by a grant from the British Heart Foundation, and a local crowdfunding effort raised the extra money required to purchase the equipment and stainless-steel cabinet necessary to house it.

Scottish charity Lucky2BHere, which has helped to provide many defibrillators in Shetland, has also provided training to the lifeboat crew.

Defibrillators can provide essential lifesaving support for anyone who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

Lerwick lifeboat coxswain Darren Harcus said: “Installing this defibrillator fits well with our function as the charity which saves lives at sea. This will be an important lifesaving asset for the Lerwick waterfront, partly paid for by the local community.

“We’d like to thank all those who have made donations for this defibrillator, the British Heart Foundation who have provided grant funding, Lucky2BHere who have provided support, and our RNLI estates team who have dealt with the necessary paperwork to install and provide electrical power to the defibrillator on the building.”

A defibrillator has also recently been installed in the Shetland Library in Lerwick.

It comes as Shetland Islands Council continues to install more devices in their public buildings, as well as ferries.