Mr Orman was a mere 10 seconds from death two weeks ago after his heart took a turn for the worst.

Emergency staff and doctors were quick to act, using electricity to bring his heart out of a terminal state.

“I was washing up and I felt myself take a turn,” Mr Orman said.

After collapsing at his home in Fitzroy Street on September 17, his wife Rhonda wasted no time in calling for an ambulance that responded quickly.

“The paramedics were able to stabilise me at home but I went downhill on the way to the hospital.”

By the time Mr Orman’s ambulance reached Dubbo Base Hospital he was in a critical condition and according to Dr Stephen Peak who was on shift at the time, he was just 10 seconds from death.

“Mr Orman’s heart had gone into a terminal state and we used electricity to revert his heart back to a normal rhythm,” Dr Peak said.

“He only had five to 10 seconds left.”

A night in Dubbo’s intensive care unit (ICU), a flight to Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for further tests and just 15 days later, Mr Orman is home and healthy and finding it hard to find the words to describe his gratitude to all who were involved in saving his life.

“I can’t thank all of the doctors and nurses enough, if it wasn’t for their great work I wouldn’t be alive,” he said. “The care that I received both in Dubbo and Sydney was just unbelieveable, I can’t praise them all enough.”

Mr Orman has since been back to see both emergency and ICU staff at Dubbo Base, to thank them.

“These people don’t get recognised enough for the work that they do, which is saving lives,” Mr Orman said.

“They saved my life and I can’t thank them enough.”

anna.yeo@ruralpress.com