AN AUSTRALIAN tourist saved the life of an elderly disabled shopper in Newton Abbot who suffered a fit in his mobility scooter.

Gary Moffit rushed to the pensioner’s aid as a defibrillator was grabbed from nearby Austins department store.

But the life-saving piece of kit wasn’t needed because the quick-thinking holidaymaker administered vital chest compressions.

Sydney resident Gary and wife Denise had just ordered lunch at the town’s Clock Tower Cafe when the ordeal unfolded just before midday on Wednesday.

He said after his herorics: ‘My wife spotted the man shaking in his mobility scooter before he fell out if it.

‘I managed to put him on his back and started giving compressions, while other people called for an ambulance.

‘He started frothing at his mouth, but we eventually got him breathing again.’

Ogwell resident Deborah Duignan and her husband Neil were among other stunned shoppers to lending a helping hand.

Deborah, who could see ‘something was wrong’ spring into action while her husband dialled 999.

She described how the casualty, believed to be in his 70s, ‘went completely purple’ and had a rapidly fading pulse.

Her husband praised the emergency services who arrived at the scene within minutes of him raising the alarm.

Town development manager Sally Henley said after the drama: ‘It is always upsetting when we see someone in difficulties in the town and it was great that tow quick-thinking members of the public were close by when the gentleman collapsed.

‘The Austins defibrillator was quickly brought to the scene, but thankfully there wasn’t need for it.’

Staff at the Clock Tower Coffee Shop recently launched a fundraising mission to drum up cash for a vital defibrillator machine.

Ms Henley added: ‘I think this incident highlighted the value of defibrillators in public spaces and had the coffee shop been at the end of their fundraising efforts, rather than just the start, there would have been an even closer machine.

‘I would like to thank all those who acted to quickly in this emergency and I do hope that the gentleman makes a full recovery.’