It was the hands of a stranger that saved Adam Dalrymple’s life.

The 62-year-old Melbourne man and his wife, Debbie, were holidaying in Nagambie when he began to experience symptoms he had only ever before read about.

“I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, flushed and all the rest of it, then I could feel the discomfort, not the pains, went down both my arms and into my hands, and then the chest pains and a shortness of breath,” Mr Dalrymple said.

“I remember we were having a chat and Deb said, ‘I think you drank too much last night’. I said, ‘I probably did, but I think this might be something else’.”

Soon after trying their luck with over-the-counter medication, the couple knew the situation was serious.

It was the quick thinking, and acting, of Ambulance Victoria Advanced Life Support paramedic Madison Rouget that ultimately saved the man’s life.

“When I arrived, Adam said his pain had gone away, and his first set of vital signs were within normal limits. When the Seymour ALS crew arrived, he was loaded into the back of their ambulance for further assessment,” she said.

“But not long after, his chest pain returned, and the monitor showed he was having an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) heart attack.

“As soon as I saw the STEMI results on the monitor, I knew we needed to act fast.”

While awaiting the arrival of the Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance, the crew administered Mr Dalrymple life-saving drugs.

However, his symptoms began to deteriorate quickly while he was being transported to the Northern Hospital in Kilmore.

It was six minutes of CPR, three shocks from the defibrillator and adrenaline that brought Mr Dalrymple back to consciousness.

And despite Ms Rouget leaving the 62-year-old with a few broken ribs as a parting gift, the family’s gratitude for her fast and smart action goes beyond what words can express.

About 12 months after the incident, the family reunited with Ms Rouget at the Murchison Ambulance Branch in an emotional display of thanks.

Accompanied by his wife, daughters Jessica and Abbey, and grandchildren Beau and Ollie, Mr Dalrymple made the trek from Melbourne on Wednesday, October 15.

Having worked at Fire Rescue Victoria for nearly 40 years, Mr Dalrymple is certainly knowledgeable about the dedication of emergency services workers.

But he said this experience really brought it home.

“I’ve always had a fair bit of respect for ambos because of my working life,” he said.

“But being on the other end of what they can do, it’s just amazing.”

Every day, around 21 Victorians experience cardiac arrest — and only one in 10 survive.

For every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.

Throughout the month of October, or Shocktober, AV is calling on Victorians to learn CPR and know where their nearest automated external defibrillator is to help save a life.

To find a list of AEDs in your area, head to tinyurl.com/5fenzp2m

For resources on CPR, visit tinyurl.com/4uuazd75

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Sunday, 14th November 2027

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