Staff at the Isle of Wight Council’s Waterside Pool in Ryde have been hailed as heroes by a man who suffered a stroke while visiting there this week.  The efforts of staff  have also been praised by the national Stroke Association whose current ‘FAST’ stroke awareness campaign also played a part in the incident last week.

Noticing that pool regular John Maxwell, 65, was not his usual chatty self when he arrived for his early morning swim, Waterside staff made sure they kept an extra watchful eye on him.

They remained concerned for his wellbeing when he entered the pool and immediately went over to him to check on him. Duty manager Ken Dack quickly suspected John was suffering a stroke and the ambulance service was called.

Paramedics were shortly on the scene to take Mr Maxwell to St Mary’s where a minor stroke was confirmed.

Mr Maxwell, of Park Road, Ryde, said:

“I have no doubt the quick and professional actions of Waterside staff enabled the stroke to be nipped in the bud. There was no messing about – they knew exactly what to do and they did it straight away

“I cannot praise the Waterside staff enough. They are always friendly, courteous and professional but this time they really came through for me. They are an incredible bunch – really great people

“I can’t speak highly enough of the council staff at both the Waterside and at Westridge where I play racquetball.”

John is already back at home, feeling well and has even resumed his daily swimming regime.

Georgina Lewis, Waterside manager, said:

“All our staff undergo training and we are delighted this was put to such effective use. Staff here take pride in their work and we are delighted we were able to assist John.”
Georgina said John was a popular regular at Waterside and staff immediately became concerned when he was not as talkative as usual.

“Their first thought was that he may simply be pre-occupied but luckily they decided to keep a particularly close eye on him. When he first got into the pool it was soon clear John was still not right because he stood around rather than swim straight away as he usually does.

“Ken had seen the FAST stroke awareness advertisements on the television and so the possibility that John had suffered a stroke quickly occurred to him and he phoned the emergency services straight away.”

John Metcalfe, assistant director responsible for the council’s leisure facilities, said: 

“Staff at our pools and also our beach lifeguards have already been responsible for some fantastic work this season. They are a real credit to themselves and the council.”

Becky King from The Stroke Association said:

“We’re delighted that Waterside’s staff remembered the FAST message and were able to identify the signs of a stroke – there’s a good chance that their quick thinking might have saved Mr Maxwell’s life on this occasion.

“A stroke is a brain attack. It’s the third biggest killer in the UK and should always be treated as a medical emergency. To help people recognise the symptoms of stroke quickly, The Stroke Association has funded research into the FAST test – FAST stands for:

• Facial weakness – can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
• Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
• Speech problems – can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
• Time to call 999 immediately

“For more information about stroke, visit www.stroke.org.uk or call The Stroke Association’s helpline on 0845 3033 100.

“We send our very best wishes to Mr Maxwell and wish him a speedy recovery.”