Recently, a poster on a boating forum I frequent has advocated purchasing an AED for use on off-shore passages (think in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, three weeks from land). The reasoning is that "simply jump-starting the heart could save a life, and I'd rather do something than nothing." The poster goes on to say that they and their spouse are nurses, and know what they're talking about. They advocate purchasing an AED for personal use because they can save lives in drowning or scuba diving accidents, electrical accidents and when someone onboard has an MI.
I really can't see advocating that boaters (or hikers, or backpackers or river rafters or anyone who engages in activity far from civilization, ambulances and hospitals) spend money and use the weight for an AED. Their usefulness is limited and without proper follow-up, the person is likely to die anyway. It's not like a Tom Cruise movie where you allow yourself to be electrocuted fall on a convenient defibrillator and get shocked back to life.
