Ambo staff off duty and on hand

A big day out turned into a mercy mission for a group of paramedics, who ended up taking a busman's holiday during the weekend.

Six off duty Wellington Free Ambulance paramedics were having a coffee in a Kapiti cafe as they waited for passage to Kapiti Island, when a man collapsed in cardiac arrest.

A 65-year old Paraparaumu man collapsed on Paraparaumu Beach about 9.15am on Saturday.

Life Flight crewman Dave Greenberg said the parademics rushed across the road.

''CPR was started as soon as they could cross the road and an ambulance was on the scene, with a defibrillator a couple of minutes later,'' Mr Greenberg said.

Life Flight responded with a Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic on board the Westpac Rescue Helicopter which flew the man to Wellington Hospital where he remains in intensive care.

WFA paramedic Mark Bailey said the man was unconcious in full cardiac arrest and it was crucial to get CPR underway till other emergency services arrived.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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