GEORGE TOWN, Dec 8 — A Penang man with no formal training has been hailed as a hero after he successfully revived an Indonesian tourist who suffered a cardiac arrest, thanks to quick thinking and publicly available Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
Koay Hean Wei, 41, who works in the emergency response industry, said it was the first time he had ever performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a real-life emergency.
The drama unfolded at the Lebuh Cecil market last week, as Koay was returning to his car after breakfast. He suddenly saw the tourist collapse right in front of him.
“Since I’m involved in the emergency and AED industry, I knew I had a responsibility to step forward and help,” he told Malay Mail.
Despite having no formal training, Koay had picked up some knowledge from his staff.
He said he took a deep breath and began performing CPR, guided by the AED’s step-by-step voice instructions.
“It was very different from what I imagined — much more intense and emotional — but the AED guidance really helped me stay focused,” he said.
After three cycles of CPR and two shocks from the AED, the tourist began to regain consciousness, just as an ambulance arrived.
The tourist spent six days in an intensive care unit (ICU) but has since been moved to a high-dependency unit and is recovering well.
Koay has been in touch with the family, who expressed their immense gratitude.
For Koay, the experience has been humbling and has reignited his passion for his work.
“That moment reinforced how powerful the right equipment can be in saving a life,” he said, stressing the importance of making more public AEDs available and training the public to use them.
