A GRIFFITH community nurse has branded a Darlington Point ex-serviceman a hero for saving her life on Anzac Day.
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Jasmine John was returning from the Darlington Point Anzac Day service and a spot of fishing when she drove through a dust cloud that triggered an anaphylactic shock.
The 23-year-old was rushed back to the Punt Hotel by her panicked fiance where they came across Shaun Hamblin taking a break from a game of two-up.
"The ambos thought it was something like pesticides but we have no idea, the dust just came in through the air vents and it happened instantly," Ms John said.
"I was in and out of consciousness and my eyes were rolling back when Shaun started coaching me to breathe.
"I am very thankful for everyone at the pub and the Coolibah Cafe who helped, otherwise I would have died.
"The ambos said I wouldn't have made it because I had lost consciousness and my airways had closed over.
"It's made me rethink a lot of things in my life and restored my faith in humanity."
Mr Hamblin, who was unknown to Ms John before he saved her life, played down the heroic feat by claiming anyone in his situation would have done the same.
"I was in the pub playing two-up and I went out for a ciggie break and these guys pulled up at 100 kilometres an hour," Mr Hamblin said.
"One of my parents is a chronic asthma sufferer so I knew to make her breathe big deep breaths in and blow bubbles out like she was in the pool.
"It was 20 minutes until someone from the pub went home and got a portable nebuliser and the ambulance arrived 10 minutes after that.
"Anybody would have done the same thing if they were in my situation.
"I was just the right man at the right spot at the right time."
After a series of adrenalin shots and steroids, Ms John spent two days in intensive care at Griffith Base Hospital.
Upcoming specialist examinations are expected to shed light on what triggered the unprecedented reaction.