Tuesday 28 April was just another day on campus for security officer Zeljko Zubcic, that was, until 4.30pm, when waving hands on Balaclava Road changed everything.

Those waving hands belonged to two women, one a Macquarie student and another, a State Transit Authority (STA) bus driver, who flagged Zeljko down as he passed by in the Macquarie security shuttle bus.

The women quickly explained that a male STA driver had just experienced a heart attack. Zeljko immediately began CPR on the driver, stopping briefly only to radio in a request for assistance. Two University security officers and an ambulance promptly arrived, and the paramedics took over with a defibrillator, before transporting the driver to Royal North Shore Hospital. Zeljko then secured the STA bus, and rang the depot to explain the situation.

The story does have a happy ending, with the STA depot supervisor later advising the driver was in a stable condition in hospital, and that the ambulance officer attending the scene noted that Zeljko’s immediate use of CPR may have saved the driver’s life.

Campus Security Manager John Durbridge said his team responds to medical incidents “pretty much on a daily basis”.

“I receive lots of positive feedback on their skill level in helping out,” said John proudly.