Teenager Brock Smith’s moment of heroism came on an ordinary working day at Calala IGA supermarket in 2011.

As he was stacking shelves, Brock recalls hearing an “almighty thud” followed by a succession of ear-piercing screams.

A 65-year-old Calala man had suffered a massive heart attack and cracked his head on the hard supermarket floor.

“I just remember hearing someone scream ‘help, help’ and I ran to the front of the store,” Brock said.

“All I could see was blood everywhere on the floor and the man was blue in the face and not breathing.”

Brock swiftly took control of the situation, ordering a staff member to call an ambulance and grabbing gloves and a paper towel.

He immediately rolled the patient to the recovery position and commenced CPR.

“I did eight compressions and there was still nothing,” Brock said.

“Then I felt his ribs crack and that made me more nervous.”

Despite being unable to revive the man, he helped sustain life until, fortuitously, a registered nurse arrived at the supermarket to do her shopping and took over.

Brock, who learned his CPR skills through the Scully Park Lifesaving Program, said he had no idea whether the man would live or die.

“He was in a coma for the next four or five months but he came out of it,” he said.

“He’s still alive to this day and has even been back to the supermarket a few times.”

Tomorrow Brock will receive a special bravery award at the 2013 Royal Life Saving Commendation Awards Ceremony.

He is one of 51 people statewide to be bestowed the honour by NSW Governor Marie Bashir.

“I feel so privileged to be receiving this but you don’t really expect awards,” Brock said. 

“I hope if the same thing happened to me that someone else would step up and save me.”