Businessman Chad Walker’s push to save lives

Fit and healthy businessman Chad Walker had no trouble climbing the Everest base camp twice — then he dropped dead with a cardiac arrest.

In the months before he dropped dead at his gym after a cardiac arrest, Chad Walker had a fitness record that included two climbs to Everest’s base camp and Kokoda Track treks.

The 44-year-old Walker Corporation heir came dangerously close to being one of the 25,000 Australians to ultimately lose their lives to a cardiac arrest each year when he collapsed at his gym on June 21.

Gym operations and safety manager Claudia Forsyth jumped to his rescue, starting CPR within 90 seconds of his heart stopping.

But it was actually a lifesaving device, an automated external defibrillator that was kept at the Virgin Active gym that saved him.

Chad Walker and Claudia Forsyth at Virgin Active Bligh Street. Pic John Feder

“I train almost every day,” he said. “I was just 100 per cent lucky that Virgin Active had a really strong health and safety policy.

“CPR will keep you alive but that only gives you minutes, not hours. The only way your heart can restart is through an AED.”

Mr Walker is now determined to push the government to help businesses put AEDs in as many places as possible. AEDs are available in public places but Mr Walker is calling for legislation to make them mandatory in all private businesses and for the government to offer subsidies to help businesses buy them.