By the time Gil Phillips realised something was wrong, it was too late.
The 86-year-old Caversham retired signwriter and amateur artist had been feeling unwell all week, but nevertheless, last Saturday he decided to go out for coffee at Blueskin Bay Nurseries Cafe.
''My son told me not to go out there because I hadn't been well, but I said: `I've only got one [expletive] life - I'm going out for coffee'.''
He arrived at the nursery cafe and had just sat down to drink his coffee when witnesses said he slumped on to the table.
''I was sitting there, and then everything just went black.''
Fortunately for Mr Phillips, Southern District Health Board chief executive and former nurse Carole Heatly and nursing director Sharon Jones just happened to be at the nursery, and immediately put their medical expertise to work.
''He looked like Casper the ghost. He was chalk-white,'' Ms Heatly said.
''When we saw him slumped in his chair, we thought he was gone.''
Ms Jones said concern grew when they could not find his pulse.
''He certainly didn't look well.''
The duo immediately laid him on the floor, and about 10 minutes later Mr Phillips regained consciousness.
''The next thing I knew, I woke up with two lovely ladies standing over me.
''It was like a picture theatre. All of a sudden, the picture came on and I was awake again.''
Ms Heatly joked with Mr Phillips yesterday: ''You probably thought you had gone to heaven when you woke up and saw us crouched over you'', to which he replied: ''I certainly did''.
An ambulance arrived soon after and took Mr Phillips to Dunedin Hospital where it was thought his collapse might have been caused by low blood pressure.
Mr Phillips was grateful for the nurses' help.
''I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for them.
''I don't think my heart would have stopped, but [the lack of blood flow] would have caused damage to my brain.''
Ms Jones said while it was an unexpected event for a weekend off, it really was just another day at the office.
''Once a nurse, always a nurse. It was a natural reaction.''
To show his gratitude, Mr Phillips donated two of his paintings to the Southern District Health Board, which he hoped would be placed on walls around Dunedin Hospital.
While the incident had given Mr Phillips a scare and he would be ''taking it a bit easier'' from now on, he remained a very independent man.
He still lives at home and drives his car, and is adamant the incident has not put him off going out for regular coffees.
