A keen golfer from Medway collapsed and died despite club staff and fellow members racing to his aid with a defibrillator.

Tony Parker, 77, suffered a cardiac arrest after finishing his regular Sunday round at West Malling Golf Club on Sunday, with two friends.

He fell to the ground close to the shop on the Trottiscliffe site at 1.15pm, and fellow member Phil Sawyer, who is a trained first aider, began CPR, while house and hospitality manager Katie Still, who is also the club’s first aider, grabbed the defibrillator.

Mrs Still said: “We have had the defibrillator here for about 15 years, and this is the first time we have ever had to use it.”

They were joined by paramedics, who worked on Mr Parker for around half an hour, and were able to get his heart started, before taking him to Maidstone Hospital. Sadly, he died later that day.

Mrs Still said: “When he left here his heart was beating, although obviously he was very poorly. We had done the best we could for him. But it isn’t ‘til you sit and think about it later you think “Oh God”.”

She added that Mr Parker, who is thought to be from Strood, attended the golf club every week and was a keen member.

“He enjoyed it right up to the end. He was doing something he loved,” she said.

Kevin Still managing director added: “If it hadn’t been for their efforts they wouldn’t have got him to hospital with his heart beating. They were all working on him.”

The Mid Kent and Medway coroner has been informed and a post mortem examination is due to be carried out.

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