[Torchwatch]

I bought a Rescusi Anne CPR Mannequin 2nd hand from Ebay recently, having been on another first aid course. The emphasis of the course was CPR combined with the use of AED (defibrillators).

It seemed like a good idea to have an AED available in the car as my neighbour has recently had a heart attack and is more likely to have another one.
I want to set up a CPR AED tent for use on big camps and events with the outdoor activities club that I am a member of for revision and initial training.

I had to replace the face and the airway/lungs of the mannequin as the face was missing and the airway/lungs of unknown vintage so I took it apart. In the chest cavity I found a rubber diving brick. I knew from the Ebay listing that the mannequin originally came from a municipal swimming pool closed for months due to Covid and guessed that the rubber diving brick had been inserted to make it sink for lifesaving rescues.

I imagine the mannequin being rescued from the bottom of the swimming pool by young men in their speedos.

Diving bricks are solid rubber and quite heavy, the vendor paid the courier by weight and unknowingly added the brick as a free gift worth about £25 new. Anyone want to go diving for bricks ?

The other emphasis on the first aid course was on catastrophic bleeding, on previous first aid courses I've been on I've been uncertain that the standard treatment would actually work. With the benefit of the experience of army medics in Afghanistan and Iraq tourniquets and "Z" fold gauze dressings have been developed than actually stop bleeding long enough for the casualty to survive and reach hospital.

I've changed my thinking and re-equipped my first aid kits with stuff I hope I never have to use, but will be ready if I have to.