The last thing former ACT attorney-general and Liberal leader Bill Stefaniak remembers is driving past the the Capital Golf Course in Narrabundah and seeing three golfers on the green.
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Then everything went black.
Mr Stefaniak, 64, suffered a heart attack and his car hit a street lamp on May 20. He was placed into an induced coma for three days but has amazed family and friends by returning to almost full health within two weeks.
Mr Stefaniak is still in hospital awaiting final surgery to implant a defibrillator into his heart but hopes to be discharged by this weekend.
"Yep, I feel incredibly lucky to be here, it certainly could have ended badly."
Mr Stefaniak suffered a blocked artery in his heart and now has a stent. He said he felt no physical symptoms of an impending heart attack and is amazed to have crashed his car without serious further injury to himself, or, as it turns out, much damage to the car.
The lucky escape also extends to the two family dogs – a staffie called Honey and Bailey the Cavoodle – both of whom were unharmed and were safely returned home.
But mostly, Mr Stefaniak wants to pay tribute to emergency service personnel who potentially saved his life through CPR.
He is also indebted to the staff and surgeons at Canberra Hospital.
"All the staff, particularly the nurses, have been just wonderful".
Mr Stefaniak was elected to the first Legislative Assembly in 1989, serving as attorney-general and minister for education and training, youth and family services, housing, sport, recreation and racing and police and emergency services.
A veteran rugby player, the former Ginninderra MLA says he feels a little physically knocked around by recent events and may take a while to return to the sporting field.
He had been heartened by the outpouring of concern over his health by former school friends, rugby friends, army friends, political friends and the legal fraternity.
"I've had a stack of visits from people I have not seen in a long, long while, and that has been a lovely experience to have in hospital."
His wife Shirley and five children were understandably relieved to have him back and fully functioning.
"I really feel good now; in fact I am keen to get back to work."
The former solicitor and Crown prosecutor has recently taken up a senior position with the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
"I am not much good at just lying around, and I've been told I can return to work, so there's a day case to hear in Sydney in June – I am planning on being there."
