When Terry Thompson saw co-worker Ryan Buchanan slumped in the seat of his forklift, he knew something was amiss.
“He just stopped to drop a pallet, the forklift was revving but nothing was happening,” Mr Thompson said.
He and another co-worker Gregg Brooks rushed to Mr Buchanan and found him lifeless in his seat.
The two men immediately called triple-0. A quick assessment under the guidance of an operator determined Mr Buchanan was suffering cardiac arrest and would need CPR.
Despite never having learnt CPR, the pair took it in turns to compress Mr Buchanan’s chest, as instructed by the operator.
Mr Thompson, of Seymour, and Mr Brooks, of Daylesford, performed the emergency procedure for 11 minutes before emergency services arrived at the Somerton transport company where they were working.
Almost eight months after they saved Mr Buchanan’s life, the pair have been recognised as community heroes.
At a ceremony at Parliament House last week, Ambulance Services Minister Jill Hennessy awarded them medals and presented each with a certificate.
They were among 155 people nominated by paramedics across the state in the past year.
Ambulance Victoria’s acting chief executive, Tony Walker, said Mr Buchanan, who is married with a young family, had since returned to work.
“A medical emergency can occur anywhere, and often when we least expect it.
“How we react to that emergency can depend on our willingness to step beyond our own fear, and place our own comfort and safety at risk.”
