After saving the life of a cyclist suffering cardiac arrest, two Sunbury men have been honoured as Ambulance Victoria Community Heroes.
Sunbury school teacher Greg Purcell was driving to work in February when he noticed Sunbury cyclist, 64-year-old Kevin Law, on the ground at Heysen Drive Reserve.
Mr Purcell said he thought Mr Law might have been stretching, but stopped his car when he realised the cyclist wasn’t moving.
“I found Kev unconscious on the ground and then rang triple-0 before I started CPR,” Mr Purcell said.
Off-duty Sunbury CFA station master Tony Smith was driving past and stopped to assist with giving resuscitation.
Both men were nominated for the Community Hero Awards by a paramedic who attended the scene, Elise Paton. She said their assistance had helped paramedics to focus on Kevin’s airway and putting on a defibrillator.
“After a few minutes, Kevin’s heart started to beat on its own,” Ms Paton said.
Mr Law was taken to Sunshine Hospital, eventually fitted with a pace-maker and has returned to bike riding.
He was in the audience last week when Ambulance Services Minister Jill Hennessy and Ambulance Victoria chief executive Tony Walker presented Mr Purcell and Mr Smith with Community Hero medals at Parliament House.
