SUE Harvey watches a lot of medical shows on television. 

It's a past time which interests her 16-year-old daughter, so Ms Harvey watches too. 

Never did it cross her mind she may be forced to use something she had learnt. 

But when her neighbour Frank Godfrey suffered a heart attack in the front yard of his Long Gully home in July instinct kicked in. 

"We just got home from the street and I heard Pat (Mr Godfrey's wife) talking to paramedics on the phone," she said. 

"I ran over to see if I could help in any way because I saw Pat holding Frank's head up."

With the help of her partner Anthony Watts, Ms Godfrey administered emergency CPR while they waited for paramedics to arrive. 

"I keep telling him that he wasn't going to stop breathing on me," Ms Godfrey said. 

"It was scary but adrenaline kicked in and you can't stop."

It took about 10 minutes for the paramedics to arrive. At that stage Ms Harvey collapsed with exhaustion. 

"It felt like forever," Ms Harvey said. 

"I didn't know what was going on, I have never gone through that before."

Mr Godfrey was flown to The Alfred in Melbourne, where he spent a fortnight recovering.  

Doctors told him he died twice that day. 

Mrs Godfrey said her husband owned his life to the quick-thinking of the couple.

"The Alfred hospital said whoever did (the CPR) has done a marvellous job. It not only saved Frank's life but it stopped him from having brain damage," she said.

"We owe Sue and Anthony everything, I didn't know how we can ever repay them.

"They are our heroes."

Mr Godfrey said he would be forever grateful to Ms Harvey and Mr Watts.

"Without them I would have been gone," he said.  

"Words can't describe."