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Man 'lucky' to have heart attack near off duty paramedics

Saturday 19 November 2011, 1:56PM

By Life Flight

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PARAPARAUMU

At 0930 this morning Life Flight Trust responded to Paraparaumu Beach to assist a man who had a heart attack while out walking.

Life Flight responded with a Wellington Free Ambulance (WFA) Paramedic on board the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

The 65 year old Paraparaumu man was walking along the beach front in when he collapsed to the ground.

"In what has to be considered a great stroke of luck, several off duty WFA paramedics were having a coffee in a cafe across the street" says Life Flight crewman Dave Greenberg. "CPR was started as soon as they crossed the road and an ambulance was on scene, with a defribulator, a couple of minutes later".

When the Westpac Rescue Helicopter team arrived the man was being treated by ambulance and fire personnel.

The patient was flown to Wellington Hospital Emergency Department in a critical condition.