Defibrillator 'ripped out' at Carrick football pitch

A defibrillator is normally stored in this temperature controlled cabinet at Carrick Rangers Football Academy

A sports club's defibrillator - kept to deal with life threatening emergencies - has been ripped out and thrown into a stream in County Antrim.

Members of Carrick Rangers Football Club in Carrickfergus discovered their pitch had been the scene of what looked like a party on Sunday night.

In a Facebook post the club said "not only did the trespassers leave their mess, but they also thought it smart to steal the defibrillator".

A passerby later found it in a stream.

Stuart Connor, youth development officer at Carrick Rangers said he is very disappointed the defibrillator has been vandalised in this way.

"In the two years we've had the defibrillator we've never had to use it but it's always the case that if it's not there that's the time that you might need it."

"I used to check the cabinet every day. I did it for three months and then I stopped because it was always there, so it came as a complete shock to me that it was gone."

The defibrillator was found in a stream that runs between Carrickfergus leisure centre and the football pitch

The club is the hub of the community with "at least 300 children" training with the football academy according to Mr Connor.

The original defibrillator was "hard got" after fundraising with charity Bravehearts NI, Mr Connor added.

The cabinet the defibrillator is stored in is temperature controlled so that the batteries don't die.

It was through Facebook that a passerby got in touch to return the missing life saving device.

'Found in a stream'

Mr Connor said: "Somebody had posted that they saw the defibrillator in the stream when they were walking their dog.

"The river is only about 200 yards from our pitch.

"They heard the beeping noise and they climbed down into the stream and pulled it out."

As disheartening as this incident is, Mr Connor said there is a lot of good in the community and hopes the defibrillator can be repaired and returned to its spot quickly.

Defibrillators - the facts

• It is a medical device that gives a high-energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest

• This high-energy shock is called defibrillation, and is an essential step in saving a life

• The portable defibrillator was invented in 1965 by Belfast-based cardiologist, Prof Frank Pantridge

• Prof Pantridge's invention has helped to save millions of lives over the past 50 years

• If someone has had a cardiac arrest, you should first call 999 and start chest compressions or CPR

• Then find out if there is a defibrillator nearby, according to the British Heart Foundation