Halifax police investigating after life-saving defibrillator was tossed into harbour
Halifax Regional Police are investigating after a life-saving defibrillator from Halifax’s waterfront was taken and tossed into the harbour.
"They didn’t steal it. They just threw it in the water," said Mike Janczyszyn, program co-ordinator with EHS AED Registry. “You shouldn’t be tampering with them or stealing them or throwing them in the water. If it was their family member or friend, you’re taking away their best chance of survival."
The automated external defibrillator (AED) was situated along the waterfront behind the Summit Building and beside BeaverTails.
The incident happened around 9:30 p.m., Easter Sunday. A witness called 911 and police responded.
Police said waterfront security guards had already retrieved the damaged defibrillator from the water.
The device has been replaced and sent to the manufacturer to see if it can be salvaged.
"It’s distressing and very sad that someone clearly didn’t understand the importance of an AED in a public spot," said Karen Chapple, who manages the Heart and Stroke’s Resuscitation Program in Atlantic Canada.
According to EHS, the device costs an average of $1,700. It’s one of 1,675 AEDs registered across Nova Scotia and one of four that is publicly available.
The devices are readily available in cases of a sudden cardiac arrest -- something the Heart and Stroke Foundation said occurs about 35,000 times each year.
"And minutes count," Chapple said.
Halifax police were given a vague description of the suspect and were told it was a younger man in his twenties. So far, no arrests have been made.
EHS and the Heart and Stroke Foundation are also trying to get more businesses to register their AEDs to help track where they are and help remind operators to maintain them.
"And if you do call 911, the 911 dispatch can tell you where the nearest AED is if it’s registered with the AED registry," Chapple said. "Anyone who has an AED in their office, we would love to have them registered that so that it can be a public-access AED"
The AED on the Halifax waterfront is one of four publicly accessible AEDs in Nova Scotia that are stored in heated and weatherproof cabinets and available 24/7 outdoors.
The other AEDs are located in Open Hearth Park in Sydney, at the Town Hall in Berwick and on the Lunenburg waterfront.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Stolen Winston Churchill 'Roaring Lion' portrait returned after ceremony in Italy
A special ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Rome marked the successful recovery of an iconic portrait of Winston Churchill after a two-year search by Ottawa police.
Federal government to further limit number of international students
The federal government will be further limiting the number of international students permitted to enter Canada next year. It's the government's latest immigration-related measure to address Canadians' ongoing housing and affordability concerns.
Search for suspect in Kentucky highway shooting ends with discovery of body believed to be his
Authorities say they believe the body of a man suspected of shooting and wounding five people on a Kentucky interstate highway has been found.
Here's why you should get all your vaccines as soon as possible
With all these shots, some Canadians may have questions about the benefit of each vaccine, whether they should get every shot and how often to get them, and if it's safe to get them all at once or if they should space them out.
Bloc MPs will vote confidence in Liberal government next week: Blanchet
The Conservatives' first shot at toppling the Liberal government is likely doomed to fail, after Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet told reporters his MPs will vote confidence in the government.
'I'm here for the Porsche': Video shows brazen car theft in Mississauga
Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.
Exploding electronic devices kill 20, wound 450 in second day of explosions in Lebanon
Lebanon's health ministry said Wednesday that at least 20 people were killed and 450 others wounded by exploding electronic devices in multiple regions of the country. The explosions came a day after an apparent Israeli attack targeting pagers used by Hezbollah killed at least 12 and wounded nearly 3,000.
'It starts off innocent': Manitoba man loses $185,000 to crypto-romance scam
A Manitoba man is warning others after he fell victim to an elaborate online scam over the summer.
Teen faces new charge in Sask. high school arson attack
A 14-year-old student who allegedly set her classmate on fire is facing a new charge.