The Seaforth collapse response started just before 2.45pm on Thursday. A man in his 60s collapsed on the footpath outside the Seaforth IGA on Sydney Road.
Bystanders stepped in straight away. They called Triple Zero and began resuscitation. One of them was local resident and emergency physician Professor Brian Burns.
That quick action mattered. Soon after, NSW Ambulance and NSW Police reached the scene. In a busy stretch of road, every minute counted.
Paramedics took over beside Sydney Road
NSW Ambulance sent three crews to the call. Inspector Christian Holmes and intensive care paramedics from Balgowlah Ambulance Station arrived in less than five minutes.
Paramedics and police then took over the resuscitation effort. They confirmed the man was in cardiac arrest. A Toll NSW Ambulance Rescue Helicopter was also tasked from Bankstown.
As the helicopter headed in, the man received multiple shocks from a defibrillator. Intensive care paramedics continued life-saving treatment at the scene. Police also closed the footpath outside the supermarket to pedestrians.
Shortly after 3pm, the helicopter landed near Balgowlah Oval in Pickworth Avenue. Officers escorted the aeromedical team to the incident. A specialist doctor and critical care paramedic then joined the response.
The man had been resuscitated, but his pulse remained very weak. Crews remained focused on getting him to hospital as quickly and safely as possible.
Hospital teams prepared for the critical transfer
Inspector Holmes had already alerted Northern Beaches Hospital. He asked staff to prepare for a critical patient. Because the hospital was close by, crews chose to transport the man by road.
The aeromedical team joined the intensive care ambulance for the trip. The convoy departed just before 3.45pm. Police provided an escort and a green-light corridor through the Wakehurst Parkway.
Professor Burns was part of a prehospital medical trial called PRECARE. The trial aims to improve survival for cardiac arrest patients through treatment before they reach hospital.
That detail adds another layer to the Seaforth collapse response. It shows how public bystanders, ambulance crews and specialist clinicians can come together fast.
Critical condition confirmed the next day
On Friday, 18 September, Northern Sydney Local Health District confirmed the man remained in a critical condition at Northern Beaches Hospital.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
For Seaforth, the morning’s calm gave way to a sharp and serious emergency. Still, the response was swift. Bystanders acted, paramedics moved fast, and police kept the area clear.
In moments like this, that local chain of help matters. It gives a patient the best possible chance while the system races into place.
Published 19-September-2026
