Trio honoured for saving training mate

When personal trainer Andrew Cullen looked into his mate's blue, breathless face during an early morning training session in southwest NSW, he could see the collapsed man was in serious strife.

Unable to find a pulse, Mr Cullen knew immediately that Stephen Phillips was suffering a severe heart attack on October 13, 2014.

Mr Cullen and two other men, Anthony Trefilo and Simon Codemo, will on Wednesday be recognised for their role in saving the man's life by NSW Governor David Hurley.

The four had just finished their "boot camp" warm up at a Griffith basketball court when disaster struck about 6am.

"I heard this almighty slap on the concrete, turned around, ran over and we hit the panic button," Mr Cullen told AAP.

The former farmer immediately feared the worst.

"I've seen the look in a dead animal's face and I actually said to myself `I don't think he's coming out of this one'," he said.

The trio immediately called an ambulance and started performing CPR, continuing with compressions until paramedics arrived.

Mr Cullen quickly took control and guided the others through the process.

He said it felt like an eternity before the ambulance arrived.

Doctors have already acknowledged that Mr Phillips' full recovery - without any brain damage - was due to the fact CPR was started straight away.

But Mr Cullen doesn't consider himself a hero.

"It was helping a friend, that's all it really was," he said.

"I don't really see the big deal because I know he'd do it for me, and I'd do it with a friend every day.

"I wasn't putting my life at risk - we were only helping until the ambos got there."

It wasn't until Mr Phillips was rushed to hospital that his heart beat began again.

He spent four days in an induced coma, but was released just 11 days later.

Mr Phillips and his wife will both be watching on at Wednesday's ceremony at Government House.

His three saviours will each receive high commendations, while a raft of others will also be acknowledged for helping others in times of crisis.

All recipients will be offered Royal Life Saving NSW awards.