It was a regular Monday morning when Ulysses Gonzaga, a registered nurse at Northern Beaches Hospital, decided to squeeze in a quick workout before his shift. He’s no stranger to saving lives, but not before clocking on.
But that is exactly what happened at Anytime Fitness in Brookvale recently.
Ulysses told Manly Observer he was urgently called over after a fellow gym-goer collapsed face down on a treadmill.
“I thought, is this real?
“I saw there was blood all over his face, he was unresponsive. His eyes were already dilated so we had to start CPR straight away,” the 57-year-old nurse said.
Without hesitation, Ulysses launched straight into DRSABCD, a mnemonic that outlines the steps to assess and respond to an emergency: Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation.
“It is instinct for nurses.
“If basic life support was not done straight away, in the span of a few minutes, he would not have survived,” he said.
The man had no known cardiac history, but he was in cardiac arrest.
A defibrillator was quickly located, and Ulysses delivered three lifesaving shocks with the help of another bystander who stepped in to assist.
Ulysses said: “The other guy said, ‘oh, he is already gone,’ and I said, ‘no, no. We do not stop until a doctor or paramedic arrives.”
The second shock prompted a gasp from the unresponsive man, the first sign of life.
“I got goosebumps. It was an incredible feeling that he is gasping for breath,” he said.
Shortly after, emergency crews arrived and took over.
Ulysses, meanwhile, wiped the sweat off his face, changed into scrubs and walked into work.
“I just came straight to work and said, hey, I just saved a life.”
A few days later, Ulysses paid a quiet trip to Ward 4B to visit the man he had saved.
Thanks to Ulysses’ quick thinking and calm under pressure, the local man is still alive and recovering with his family.
Ulysses said: “It was so heartwarming, to see people and see him walking. There was lots of crying.
The man’s recovery has been described “remarkable” by hospital staff. His cardiac ejection fraction – a measure of how well the heart pumps – is now at 70%, an impressive sign following a cardiac arrest.
Ulysses credits the hospital’s CPR training for making his response second nature.
“I have used it before, but that was the first time outside of a hospital setting,” Mr Gonzaga said.
He also praised the hospital’s Clinical Nurse Educator, Alison Gregersen, for running frequent basic life support refreshers, something he believes everyone should have.
“I think people should have an awareness of the basic life support, the very basic ones, because it will really save lives,” he said.
While we’d call him a hero, Ulysses described himself as someone who was trained, ready, and nearby when it counted most.
“The feeling is so good,” he said.
A hospital spokesperson added, “We are incredibly proud to work alongside nurses like Ulysses – a reminder of the skill, calm, and courage that lives within our walls and, in this case, far beyond them.
“Thank you, Ulysses. You are an inspiration to us all.”
