‘Selfless act of humanity’: Bystanders help save man’s life in Woolworths Sebastopol car park

Bystanders have been congratulated by paramedics after they jumped in to help an elderly man who suffered a medical episode outside a Ballarat supermarket.

Woolworths on Albert St and Hertford St, Sebastopol. Picture: Google Maps

Ballarat bystanders helped save a man who suffered a medical episode outside a Sebastopol supermarket at the weekend.

Paramedics responded to an incident outside Woolworths Sebastopol about 12.30pm on Saturday, taking a man in his 80s to the Ballarat Base Hospital in a critical condition.

On Sunday, a post to a Ballarat community Facebook group by the man’s daughter thanked passers-by who performed CPR on her father.

“A huge shoutout to the beautiful lady with two children that resuscitated my dad around lunchtime in the Woolworths car park Sebastopol,” the woman wrote.

“You have given him the absolute best chance of survival.

“We as a family are eternally grateful for this selfless act of humanity.”

The man, in his 80s, was in a critical condition when he was taken to hospital. Picture: File

A man claiming to be one of the first paramedics on the scene replied, agreeing the early CPR and use of a defibrillator “certainly contributed” to the man’s survival.

“These people did all the right things,” he said.

“Kudos also to the Woolworths staff for their quick actions in bringing the defib out to the scene.

“We get very busy when we turn up at a cardiac arrest and often don’t get to thank the bystanders who help out, but thanks everyone who was involved.

“You saved this man’s life.”

The hospitalised man was said to have been making good progress, despite being exhausted.

More to come.