“My golf playing partners saved my life”

As part of our Drive for Defibs campaign, we met Steve Ross, a golfer whose life was saved by the quick thinking of friends and strangers on the course in 2021.

Our Drive for Defibs campaign is brought to you in association with Motocaddy

One moment Steve Ross was searching for his ball in the rough at Cleethorpes Golf Club in Lincolnshire. The next he was lying on his back and fighting for his life after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.

“At first, I think my playing partner, Paul (Gorman), thought I was mucking about,” says Steve. “I mean, I hit the deck big time. I’m a big guy, an ex-rugby player, so there was a lot of clatter as I took my clubs down with me. But when he saw my face was going a bit blue, that’s when I think he realised I was probably in a bit of trouble.”

RELATED: What is the Drive for Defibs campaign?

While Paul and his wife, Judith, took turns administering CPR to the tune of Stayin’ Alive, another group of golfers playing behind rushed to retrieve a defibrillator from the clubhouse wall.

‘I was lucky that there was a defib nearby and I was around people who could help me. They are the real heroes’

“It only took one quick jolt and I was back in the room as they say. But between my playing partners Stuart (Aitken), Paul and Judith, they undoubtedly saved my life. Paul broke three of my ribs giving CPR but that was a small price to pay.”

Despite being told by doctors that he had ‘cheated death’, Steve. 62, was back on the course within a month of having two stents fitted and has even joined Cleethorpes Golf Club as a member.

“You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who come up to me now saying, ‘You’re the guy who died on the 14th, it’s always been a tricky hole…’

“But I’m honestly just glad I am still here to tell the tale. I was exceptionally lucky that there was a defib nearby and I was around people who could help me. They are the real heroes.”

‘I can now give CPR and I think it should be a key requirement for everyone. It’s not a difficult thing to do’

Had the situation been the other round,  it’s unlikely Steve would have been much help. It was only by chance that he was playing in the presence of people who knew how to perform CPR – a life-saving skill which he had never taken the time to learn before his ordeal.

RELATED: What to do if a playing partner has a cardiac arrest

“It was always something I thought I should go and do, but then I went and did something else,” admits Steve. “Having had the heart attack, I now know how important it is. Without it, I would just be another statistic because the survival rates are shocking.

“I’m pleased to say I can now give CPR and I think it should be a key requirement for everyone. It’s not a difficult thing to do and if that one day does come along when someone needs your help, it can change your life and hopefully save another one.”

If you’ve got a story that you’d like to be told, you’re hosting a fundraising event inspired by our campaign, or your golf club has recently installed a defibrillator, get in touch with us, here.

Motocaddy’s GPS app, which includes CPR guidance, AED locator and emergency contacts, is free to download on iOS and Android devices from the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

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