About 10am on Wednesday workers responsible for the multi-million dollar Manilla Rd upgrade stopped to say hello to 77-year-old Peel St resident Alessio “Alex” Loi before getting back to work. 

Seconds later they ran to his aid after he collapsed, began to turn blue and was unconscious. 

Tamworth Regional Council construction supervisor Greg Thornton and surveyor Peter Baxter began to perform CPR on Mr Loi who had suffered a cardiac arrest, and called triple-zero. 

When paramedics Stu Harris and Alex White arrived they encouraged the two men to continue CPR. 

“They were doing such a good job, it gave us more time to set up what we needed to do,” paramedic White said. 

Another crew of paramedics arrived and over the following few minutes Mr Loi was given two shots of adrenalin, intubated and hit twice with the defibrillator. 

He woke up in the ambulance en route to Tamworth hospital, something paramedic David Kidd said was a true testament to the efforts of Mr Baxter and Mr Thornton’s roadside efforts. 

Mr Loi was reunited with his “saviours” in the Tamworth hospital intensive care unit yesterday afternoon. 

He said he was very thankful for the efforts of the two men and the team of paramedics and told The Leader he had no doubt a different story would have been told if it hadn’t have been for Mr Baxter and Mr Thornton’s efforts. 

Mr Baxter, who updated his CPR training about 12 months ago, said he didn’t think it was a skill he would ever have to use. 

“It’s funny because you don’t even think about it, we both just got in and did it,” he said. 

Mr Kidd said the efforts of Mr Thornton and Mr Baxter were a true testament to how important it was for employers to offer training and refresher courses for CPR to their employees. 

“Their methods were very effective in helping Mr Loi and are a classic example of why that training is important,” he said. 

Yesterday afternoon Mr Loi was looking well in his hospital bed. 

He said he felt very lucky.

“Seven years ago I was told I might need a pacemaker and that would give me 10 years,” he said.

“I decided not to have it put in and said I would ‘see how I go’.

“I have a leaky valve. I will go to Newcastle now and see what they say. Maybe I’ll get 10 years from now, but I know on Wednesday without those guys it could have been the end.”