A teacher on Auckland’s North Shore has praised first aid courses as “very important” after needing to perform CPR on a cyclist she found unconscious on the road.

Bridget Maffey rushed to help Steve Ramdhanie when he suffered a cardiac arrest while cycling home on March 28.

She was on her way home from the movies with her son when they turned a corner on Fairview Ave, Albany and saw Ramdhanie lying on the ground, still attached to his bike.

As a relief and special education teacher, she said she had kept up with St John provided first aid courses.

Steve Ramdhanie suffered a cardiac arrest while cycling Fairview Ave in Albany, Auckland. Photo / Google Maps

“I’m so glad I had the knowledge. I want to highlight St John’s first aid courses – or any courses – they’re very important,” she told the Herald.

Maffey said she and two other members of the public had stopped to help Ramdhanie and noticed his laboured breathing. He was also moaning.

“I have to thank a man who stopped to help and unbuckled his shoes from his bike. He told me he could still see him breathing and that kicked me into action to actually start CPR.”

The unknown man helped before calling 111.

“A firefighter that came to the scene thanked me and said ‘you’ve done well’ and gave me a hug.”

East Coast Bays station officer Martyn Baker (left) and senior firefighter Stefan McCord (right) with Steve Ramdhanie, who was revived after he collapsed while cycling.

Maffey rang East Coast Bays firefighters later on to thank them. She found out when reading yesterday’s NZ Herald article that Ramdhanie had survived.

“I didn’t want to ask as soon as I called [fire] because I was a bit worried and wasn’t sure if I wanted to know. But when I saw your article, I was so stoked. Thank you for sharing this.

“I’m so so stoked he’s still alive ... you never know what’s going to happen when he headed to hospital.

“I’m so happy for him and his family.”

How stranger’s ‘excellent CPR’ skills saved a life

Ramdhanie had been on a group ride with friends to Hobsonville on March 28 when he began feeling unwell and split from the group to head home.

Although he has no memory of the ride, Ramdhanie now knows he made it partway up a hill before suffering a cardiac arrest.

“I just lost consciousness,” he said.

His pulse stopped for 16 minutes.

Ramdhanie has since been discharged from hospital and said he is recovering well, though he is expected to undergo another procedure and receive additional stents.

Maffey and Ramdhanie have now connected over the accident.