A BRAND new state-of-the-art defibrillator has been delivered to the top of Snowdon to help save lives.

It means that if one of the estimated 400,000 annual visitors to the summit suffers a cardiac arrest, members of the public can begin the ‘chain of survival’ until emergency services arrive.

The new device replaces the previous one located at the Hafod Eryri Visitor Centre, and thanks to advanced technology will no longer require someone to reach the top to check if it’s working.

Usually, a Welsh Ambulance Service volunteer would travel on the mountain railway to the 1,085-metre-high peak in order to carry out regular visual checks.

However, the ZOLL AED3 model features smart technology, allowing it to be monitored 24 hours a day from any location using a mobile phone.

It has been jointly funded by the Achub Calon Y Dyffrun group, launched by one of the ambulance service’s Community First Responders (CFR) Tomos Hughes to increase the number of defibrillators in north Wales, and manufacturers ZOLL Medical.

Tomos, from Cerrigydrudion also runs the Uwchaled CFR team, and took the train to the summit of Snowdon last Wednesday to put the new device in place.

He said: “It’s really good news that a state of the art remote defibrillator is now available in one of the most remote locations you can think of.

“The more defibrillators we have in the community, the more it increases the chances of survival of someone suffering cardiac arrest.

“It’s been used twice this year and deployed three times, so I’ve been up there three times to check on it. Now we can do that from a smart phone anywhere in the world.

“It wouldn’t have been possible to provide this without the support of the public in Wales and our partnership with ZOLL Medical.”

Adrian Waller, UK sales manager for ZOLL Medical, was also at the peak to hand over the new defibrillator.

He said: “The outstanding feature of the ZOLL AED3 is that it gives the rescuer live feedback on the rate and depth of chest compressions when they’re doing CPR, which is clinically proven to improve outcomes quite significantly.

“Normally when the defibrillator carries out its own self-test someone would have to visually inspect the device on a regular basis. This will actually send a report using WiFi technology so that the owners can determine its status.

“It’s really positive for visitors that this defibrillator is there to be used at the top of Snowdon whenever it’s needed.”