An elderly man in his 70s has passed away after collapsing next to his vehicle at a petrol station in Pretoria east on Thursday afternoon.

According to Volunteer Emergency Medical Response Unit (VEMRU) spokesperson Casper Visser, the incident happened just after 14:00 on February 12 at a petrol station on Rossouw Street in the Murrayfield area.

Visser explained that a VEMRU volunteer was present at the petrol station at the time of the incident, but remains uncertain about the events leading up to the man being found on the ground.

“The volunteer was inside the petrol station buying something when he heard a scream from outside. Rushing out, he found the elderly man lying on the ground next to his car,” he said.

He confirmed that the man had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. The volunteer immediately began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and called for additional assistance.

“Within minutes, a VEMRU vehicle and other emergency responders from volunteer organisations and private services arrived on the scene.”

Advanced cardiac life support resuscitation was then initiated as paramedics worked tirelessly to revive the man.

“Resuscitation efforts continued for nearly an hour and involved multiple advanced interventions,” stated Visser.

Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the man could not be saved.

“After almost an hour of Advanced Cardiac Life Support CPR, the decision was made to terminate resuscitation attempts, and the patient was declared deceased at the scene.”

While acknowledging the tragic outcome, Visser commended the VEMRU volunteer for his quick response.

“Well done to our volunteer for immediately putting their training into action without hesitation,” he added.

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