Search for mystery woman who saved cyclist with roadside CPR on Auckland’s North Shore
East Coast Bays station officer Martyn Baker (left) and senior firefighter Stefan McCord (right) with Steve Ramdhanie, who was revived after he collapsed while cycling.
A good Samaritan’s “excellent CPR” skills saved the life of a cyclist who collapsed on an Auckland roadside – and now the search is on to find the mystery woman who stepped in to help.
Auckland schoolteacher Steve Ramdhanie had been on a group ride with friends to Hobsonville on March 28 when he began feeling unwell and split from the group to head home to Devonport.
While he has no memory of the ride, he now knows he made it partway up a hill on Fairview Ave near Albany before suffering a cardiac arrest.
“I just lost consciousness,” he said.
“According to the firefighters, a lady came round the bend and saw me unconscious on the pavement.
“She managed to unclip my feet from my bike and then started CPR.”
East Coast Bays firefighters soon arrived and took over resuscitation efforts, before Hato Hone St John arrived.
“On the first analysis, a shock was advised,” the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) said.
“After three shocks, our patient had a pulse and was transported to hospital.”
His wife Tracey Ramdhanie told the Herald she panicked when an Auckland City Hospital nurse picked up Steve’s phone after she had tried calling him repeatedly.
“My heart just went, ‘Oh my God’,” she said.
The mother of three said it was a “miracle” her husband had no permanent brain damage after being without a pulse for 16 minutes.
“With CPR, that 16 minutes is at the upper range of surviving without serious brain injury, so we were very lucky.”
Doctors discovered a blocked artery had triggered the cardiac arrest and inserted a stent to restore blood flow.
Ramdhanie has since been discharged from hospital and said he is recovering well, though he is expected to undergo another procedure and receive additional stents.
Last week, he reunited with station officer Martyn Baker and senior firefighter Stefan McCord in what he described as an emotional moment.
“When I gave them a hug I was welling up, just realising they’d saved me, otherwise I’d be dead,” he said.
“Often, when patients leave in an ambulance, we never know the outcome,” an NZPFU spokesperson said.
“These wins don’t happen often, but when they do, they make it all worthwhile.”
The union praised the actions of the bystander, saying her “excellent CPR” skills made a “massive difference” to Steve’s outcome.
“We would love to meet her and thank her too,” Tracey said.
“It would be nice if she knew what she did.”