Raised in the 1950s, he joined the Air Force in 1963 and spent 37 years as a pilot before moving into the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. Retirement didn’t slow him down.  He and his wife moved often, eventually settling in Palmerston North, their 27th move. Married with two daughters, Rick volunteers with Citizens Advice Bureau, served as a Justice of the Peace, and keeps busy with community service.

That January morning, everything changed. Rick collapsed while walking near a riverbank. By chance, two cyclists Bruce and Dennis passed by.

Dennis was cycling ahead of Bruce and was about to go down the hill, he saw Rick coming up the hill and said something cheeky to him because he “wasn’t looking too good”.

The second cyclist Bruce also said hello to Rick, and cycled down the hill too when he heard Rick collapse and roll down the bank. 

Rick had gone into cardiac arrest.

Bruce went down the slope and called to Dennis to call 111. Once he reached Rick, Bruce rolled him over and started CPR.

Within minutes, Waimarama a nurse, still in her pyjamas who had been told by her mum who had seen Rick fall, rushed from her nearby home and took turns with Bruce performing CPR.

Palmerston North City Council workers Ash and Brian arrived soon after while driving past; and joined the group in providing CPR and directing emergency services which sustained Rick’s life until an AED could be attached to restart his heart.  

A flood of emergency responders arrived soon after: ambulance crews, air ambulance staff, firefighters, and police.

Police contacted Rick’s wife Linda who made her way to the hospital where she was met by their daughter who is a paediatric anaesthetist.

Rick’s survival wasn’t without complications. He had inhaled mud and grit, developed pneumonia, and endured broken ribs from CPR. “By God it hurt,” he said of the days of relentless coughing. However, Rick remarked on the high level of care he received “The hospital care I got was second to none.”

Tests revealed severe coronary artery disease. In February, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Thanks to rapid intervention by his community, Rick made a remarkable recovery.

Rick recalls nothing of his arrest. “Like a light switch off, light switch on.” He speaks plainly about his survival: “It was by pure luck. If that second biker hadn’t turned back, I wouldn’t be here.”

But it wasn’t only luck. The courage of bystanders willing to act, the training they had received, and the availability of emergency responders all lined up perfectly. “One thing is knowing CPR,” Rick says. “But to see someone collapse, and have the guts to do it, that’s what saves lives.”

Determined to give back, Rick donated two automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Palmerston North City and presented his responders with vouchers as a way of giving thanks to them. More importantly, he arranged for his Citizens Advice Bureau colleagues to undergo CPR and AED training, many for the first time.

He later reunited with the cyclists, nurse, and council workers who had saved him for a morning tea hosted by the Palmerston North City Council. This gave the responders the closure of knowing their actions had worked. “It was so good for them to see me standing and walking” Rick said.

For Rick, survival has brought perspective, but not mysticism. “People ask if I saw lights or had a vision. Nothing. Just pure luck and good people who acted fast.”

Now back to life as usual, walking, volunteering, and enjoying time with family, Rick knows just how close he came. “By now, they could have been mowing the lawn over my grave. Instead, I’ve got my life back.”

Rick’s survival illustrates the critical importance of early CPR, AED use, and community readiness to save a life.