The men at Kiama Bowls and Recreation Club are accustomed to the gentle athleticism of fellow bowler Nick Tylee, who exercises his knee on the green and his elbow at the bar afterwards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But it was a dramatic October day when Mr Tylee broke ranks and hurdled the rose hedge at pace.
From a neighbouring green he saw 74-year-old Peter Marrow collapsed on the ground, having a heart attack.
Mr Marrow's heart stopped three times over a period of 20 minutes as Mr Tylee and two other bowlers - retired police officer Mike Yalden and Steve Wills, a former lifeguard - worked together to keep him alive until paramedics arrived.
Yesterday Mr Marrow reunited with the people who saved his life, including four NSW Ambulance paramedics and his three fellow bowlers.
"I just feel so lucky so blessed that these guys were on the green at the time," said Mr Marrow, a survivor of two open-heart surgeries. "I could have been playing anywhere and nobody would have known nothing about nothing, but I seemed to have a team that knew everything."
The club has purchased a defibrillator since Mr Marrow's near-death experience, funded with a partial state government grant.
Bomaderry paramedic Joel Pegram - who used a defibrillator to treat Mr Marrow - said he would like to see more of the automatic devices made available for the community.
"Anyone can use it. It talks to you, and if you push the button at the wrong time it won't [react]," he said.
Another responding paramedic, Kel Milne, said he had been unsure of Mr Marrow's prospects of survival.
"He came back but, to be honest, I didn't think he would make it. I was quite shocked that he did get back to where he was," Mr Milne said.
"Medical literature suggests the probability of survival post-cardiac arrest outside hospital is as low as 3 per cent."
Mr Marrow complained of feeling unwell and sat down in the moments before he suffered his heart attack.
It was the club's president who saw him fall and raised the alarm.
"That's when I jumped the roses from the other green," Mr Tylee said.
Pictured: Kiama lawn bowler Peter Marrow, centre, with the paramedics and local men who saved his life when he suffered a heart attack at Kiama Bowling Club, from left, Nick Tylee, Joel Pegram, Mike Yalden and Steve Wills. Credit: ANDY ZAKELI
