Adam Steegstra survived three cardiac arrests at Anglesea Main Beach on Labour Day, after bystanders performed CPR and used a publicly accessible defibrillator. The device was installed by the Anglesea Lions Club, which has placed 19 defibrillators across Anglesea and Aireys Inlet. Steegstra, 44, had no history of serious illness and is now almost back to normal health. Ambulance Victoria says a patient's chance of survival more than doubles when CPR and an AED shock are given before paramedics arrive. Three people in the two towns have survived cardiac arrests over the past three years with defibrillator help.
An online map shows 21 registered defibrillators across Cabonne towns, including Eugowra, Cudal, Manildra, Yeoval, Cumnock, Canowindra and Molong. NSW Ambulance chief executive Clare Beech said each minute without CPR cuts a cardiac arrest patient's survival chance by seven to 10 per cent. A new GoodSAM CPR playlist on Spotify matches songs to the recommended compression rate of 100 to 120 per minute. People aged 18 and over can register as GoodSAM responders without formal CPR qualifications. Device access varies, and map listings may be incomplete or outdated.
A Brisbane woman who went into cardiac arrest during her morning run a year ago is urging people to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator. Kaley Koppa, 43, collapsed on a bench along the Brisbane River after she slowed down and clutched her arm. Members of the public performed CPR, and a Star Casino security worker used a defibrillator, which Ms Koppa says saved her life. Doctors later declared she had clinically died. Ms Koppa has since learned she has a progressive genetic heart disease and can no longer run.
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A Brisbane woman has been reunited with the strangers who saved her life after she collapsed in cardiac arrest along the Brisbane River. Kaley Koppa, 43, was almost 10km into her morning run when she slumped over on a bench. She had an undiagnosed genetic heart disease. A couple on a morning walk called triple-0, and strangers performed CPR and used a defibrillator brought by staff from the Star casino before paramedics arrived. A year later, Koppa marked World Restart a Heart Day to promote bystander CPR.
Geelong man Bob Belle, 79, is alive after his heart stopped while swimming at Kardinia Aquatic Centre on two occasions, once in 2023 and again in June this year. He reunited with the lifeguard and paramedics involved to highlight early intervention during Ambulance Victoria's Shocktober campaign. Lifeguard Deb Seller started CPR and used a defibrillator before paramedics arrived. Paramedic Greg Seiz said each minute without CPR cuts survival chances by 10 per cent. Ambulance Victoria says 21 people suffer cardiac arrest across the state daily, with only one in 10 surviving.
Portarlington and Indented Head have been officially named Heart Safe Communities following a 12-month program run by Ambulance Victoria and the Heart Foundation. The program teaches residents to recognise cardiac arrest, perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator. Two hundred and fifty-five community members have been trained in the region, and 23 defibrillators are registered there. Ambulance Victoria director Dr Ziad Nehme said bystanders have the biggest impact on cardiac arrest survival. Victoria has the second-highest cardiac arrest survival rate in the world, according to Ambulance Victoria.
A young father has been awarded Western Australia's Royal Life Saving Bravery Award for rescuing his three-year-old daughter from drowning in a backyard pool in Broome. Sandy Spratt, 25, was visiting a family member's home in August 2025 when he noticed the sudden silence of his daughters' play. He found Adaleena unconscious and face down in the water, pulled her out and began CPR. She was conscious when paramedics arrived and made a full recovery in Broome Hospital. Mr Spratt is now urging others to complete a first aid course, saying it really does save lives.
Dave Winner established the Dave Winner Foundation to train Australians in CPR after his life was saved by bystanders during a surfing accident at Coalcliff Beach. The foundation offers free monthly CPR training at Coledale RSL and has developed the FreeFlow CPR app to expand its reach. The annual Dave Winner Beach to Bombie Swim, organised by Coalcliff Surf Life Saving Club, supports the foundation and promotes CPR awareness.
