Wodonga West CFA captain Ross Coyle had been walking through Wodonga Plaza on Sunday with his son and noticed a man laying on the ground.

He said it had been clear the man was in trouble.

“He was going into cardiac arrest and after I put him in the recovery position, he stopped breathing,” Mr Coyle said.

“He was receiving recovery care within five seconds of stopping breathing.

“I was very fortunate that some people jumped in quickly with some very sound assistance.”

The man was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital in Melbourne. 

“I think the most important message is for people to know how to perform CPR,” Mr Coyle said. 

“It was a terrific outcome. 

“The gentleman is fine and he's going to go home to his family. 

"That’s the most important thing.”

Mr Coyle learnt CPR through his work with the CFA and hadn't used it previously. 

Centre manager Cherie Daly thanked Mr Coyle.