After a hike to Sunrise Hut in the Ruahine Range, Simon Malthus turned grey before his breathing and heart stopped, requiring quick actions from St John to help save his life.
Mr Malthus, 40, was suffering from a cardiac arrest on his family's Waipukurau farm. Last month he returned to Hawke's Bay with his wife Emily to thank the St John staff responsible for saving his life in 2009.
"He was just sitting on the couch when he went grey and stopped breathing," Mrs Malthus said.
"My mother-in-law phoned 111 where they advised and taught us how to perform CPR over the phone until the paramedics got there."
Mr Malthus is just one of thousands to benefit from St John ambulance services across Hawke's Bay in recent years. In response to an increasing national workload, St John ambulance announced last week it was increasing its callout fee to cover burgeoning costs. Hawke's Bay patients will be charged $88 - a $4 increase on its previous fee.