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An Auckland man who was revived with a defibrillator after suffering a cardiac arrest in a hardware store remains in a critical condition.
Bram "Watty" Watkin, 82, was buying a letterbox at Placemakers in Albany on Wednesday when he collapsed in the aisle.
Two people started CPR, while a woman alerted a medical equipment salesman who was at the counter demonstrating a defibrillator to staff.
Salesman Gavin MacDonell said Mr Watkin's heart was not registering a beat when the two chest pads from the defibrillator were first attached, but then his heart restarted.
Mr Watkin was rushed to North Shore Hospital where he yesterday remained unconscious and in a critical condition, surrounded by his wife, five children and seven grandchildren.
Last night his family said they wanted to thank the people who helped save the retired Massey University professor's life, in particular the two unknown people who performed CPR in those first vital few minutes.
"The family as a whole want to express heartfelt thanks for the heroic actions of the people who performed CPR, for Mr MacDonell, the Placemakers staff and the doctors and nurses at North Shore Hospital who thanks to their efforts have given him a chance," said son Tim Watkin.
"The CPR guys, we don't know who they are, but we would love to hear from them."
Mr Watkin, who has flown from America to be with his family, said his father had suffered a heart attack many years ago but had been relatively fit and healthy since then.
He said his father was a world- renowned agricultural scientist who specialised in agronomy.
