The future of a voluntary life-saving service covering Morton and north Bourne is in doubt because of a lack of support.
Members of the area’s LIVES First Responders group have made an urgent appeal for more people to join them as the number of volunteers has dropped to just three.
The group was one of the first to be set up in Lincolnshire in 1999 and volunteers provide care for people with chest pains, breathing difficulties or who have hurt themselves in falls and are waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
Sue Slaymaker, group co-ordinator, said: “The need is very great in Morton and the surrounding area but we can’t seem to get volunteers to go out and be First Responders.
“We’re down to just three members and the group is now in danger of folding if we can’t get anybody else to join us.
“You don’t need any previous experience because everybody is fully trained in conjunction with LIVES and the more people we have, the easier it is for everybody to respond to calls.”
Volunteers work on a rota basis in response to calls from East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and are trained to give basic life support, including the use of a defibrillator in cases of cardiac arrest.
Other areas covered by the group include Cawthorpe, Dyke, Haconby, Kirkby Underwood, Rippingale and Stainfield.
Marianne Robinson, a First Responder from Morton who helped out after a road accident on the A15 in Dyke last year, said: “We just happened to be coming back from an incident in Bourne when we saw a man who had come off his motorbike at a crossroads in the village.
“We were first on the scene and he was in a serious condition, but we managed to stabilise the man until the paramedics arrived.
“A few days later, we got a letter from EMAS saying ‘Well done and thanks very much’.”
Volunteers need to be aged 18 or over, have a full driving licence and be willing to work as part of a team.
Marianne, who is also a part-time swimming teacher, said: “I really enjoy being a First Responder and I find it rewarding because it’s something provided by the area for the area.
“I’ve been a volunteer for ten years and people are always grateful when we can go to their homes and take control of a bad situation where someone is unwell.”
Anyone interested in joining the group can email Sue at sslaymaker48@gmail.com or Marianne at 19.gandm@gmail.com