Paramedics reunite 23 years after one saved the other from drowning

Paramedic Mark Gardiner and his colleague Lochie Rose recently reunited at John Hunter Hospital, 23 years after Gardiner saved Rose’s life.

In January 2003, Rose was a three-year-old who nearly drowned in a backyard swimming pool in Whitebridge. Gardiner performed CPR and helped save the child. Years later, while studying to become a paramedic, Rose tracked down his own medical records, which led him to discover Gardiner was the person who had saved him.

Rose wrote a letter of thanks to Gardiner, which the veteran paramedic now keeps framed. The two eventually became colleagues, both wearing the NSW Ambulance uniform when they unexpectedly crossed paths at the hospital.