Ocean Grove’s Perry Davis has been presented with an award for saving the life of a man in Queensland.
Mr Davis was presented with a certificate of admission to the Resuscitation Club of the Royal Australian Life Saving Society at the Horseshoe Bay Resort in Bowen on 14 July.
Mr Davis has been travelling to Bowen in North Queensland each winter for six years with wife Cris.
While playing social tennis he noticed a man had fallen on an adjacent court.
Frank Hart, then 81, had collapsed and was suffering from cardiac arrest.
Mr and Mrs Davis, a nurse, rushed to his side.
“I dropped the racquet and ran,” Mr Davis said.
“Frank was on the ground with a bit of blood coming from his head.
“We couldn’t find a pulse so we started CPR within 30 seconds.
“Cris has a breathing problem so she held his head while I did CPR.”
Mr Davis has a mild form of cerebral palsy on the left-hand side of his body, which forced him to perform CPR with one arm for 15 minutes until an ambulance arrived.
Mr Hart fortunately survived and texted him the next day.
“He has a really dry sense of humour and said, ‘Did you see the horse who stood on my chest?’,” said Mr Davis, who works as an educator at Queenscliff’s Marine Discovery Centre.
“He showed me pictures of all the bruising. It was such a relief.”
The two were now the best of mates, Mr Davis said.
“You only get one life and he was very grateful.
“We’re so happy to have Frank and we are really close to his family and happy is still coming up (from Illawarra) to Bowen each year.”
