A TRURO estate has life-saving equipment for residents and visitors to use following a public appeal.

Treffry Road residents Ryan and Abbie Lewis purchased and registered a defibrillator to be made available to all residents in an emergency. Meanwhile, a separate crowdfunding campaign smashed its target within three days to buy a second defibrillator in memory of Allan Phillips, who died suddenly in January aged 56.

An on-call firefighter, Mr Lewis was called upon to administer CPR when his neighbour Mr Phillips fell ill. “His wife called for an ambulance, and when the operator asked where the nearest defibrillator was, none of us knew,” he said.

“It took eight minutes for two ambulances to arrive, and Cornwall Air Ambulance landed on the green with the heart team, but unfortunately Allan couldn’t be saved. It was hard for us all.”

A defibrillator can help restore a normal heart rhythm while waiting for emergency services, increasing chances of survival. Treffry Road’s closest defibrillators are at Waitrose, Dunelm Mill and Archbishop Benson School. “While these are close, minutes matter in an emergency - and they are not available at night,” said Ryan.

“With 258 houses on the estate, we made the decision to buy one. It was a lot of money, but it was something we felt we could do to increase someone’s chances in case of an emergency. Treffry is a community, and we try and help each other.”

The Phillips’ defibrillator will be available when they are at home, but will also accompany Ryan in his job as a window cleaner.

A Crowdfunder campaign coordinated by Jennifer Webster has raised £2,190 towards a second public defibrillator, to be installed in a central location and made available 24/7.

While some residents will receive training, anyone can use a defibrillator, which comes with instructions as well as guidance from the emergency services.