On the afternoon of 18 September, David Crawley and his wife, visiting from Orange, were exploring Gerringong to visit their son. They were enjoying a peaceful walk up the hill from Gerroa to Gerringong and had just passed the Fishos Club when David felt dizzy and collapsed. Then he lost consciousness, stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest. 

Fortunately, a car coming up the hill saw him fall, and that timely intervention by two First Aiders, an ex-army man and his ex-police wife, proved to be the turning point.

The quick-thinking gentleman initiated CPR while David's son assisted by providing rescue breaths. His wife immediately rang for the ambulance while locals retrieved a defibrillator from the nearby Fishos Club and a first aid kit from the caravan park. David's heartbeat returned after about 5 minutes.

Paramedics arrived quickly and David was transported to Wollongong Hospital, where he remains to this day. At 4pm that day David underwent a life-saving triple bypass surgery, and he will receive his own Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator. He anticipates another week of recovery before he can return home.

David Crawley, with deep gratitude in his heart, wishes to extend his heartfelt thanks to the extraordinary individuals who saved his life. In his own words, David expressed, “People like these, who exhibit such extraordinary care and community spirit, make me immensely proud to be an Australian.”

David acknowledges the good Samaritans who stopped to give him CPR, and the ambulance crew who kept him alive, to the hospital staff who performed the surgery and the businesses in the community that had the defibrillators on hand. Despite the near-fatal experience, David now finds himself in surprisingly good spirits, and says, “I feel good now, as if it hadn’t happened!” However, he remains acutely aware of the incredible luck that saved him, both in surviving the ordeal and in the timely arrival of those who knew how to respond.

David's wife, who happens to be a nurse herself, was profoundly moved by the remarkable assistance provided by the local community. At that moment, her emotions ranged from shock to profound gratitude. After all, David had no prior history of heart disease, making the sudden cardiac arrest unexpected and astonishing.

David’s story reminds us of the importance of First Aid training that includes CPR skills, ensuring we are prepared to act when someone's life hangs in the balance. It also underscores the significance of regular cardiac check-ups, especially as we age and particularly if there is a family history of heart disease.