Rory McKenzie started his business Wagga First Aid Training in March this year, drawing on his experience as a volunteer first responder and a combat medic in the army.

Mr McKenzie is echoing the calls for more safety equipment from a quick-thinking nurse who saved a man's life on the weekend.

Felicity Benedyka was at the beach with her family on Sunday evening when she and three other off-duty doctors and nurses rushed to help a man who was pulled from the Murrumbidgee River in a critical condition.

"The guy is definitely meant to be here, because the guys pulled him out of the water and we went straight into compressions [and] he had no signs of life," Ms Benedyka told The Daily Advertiser on Tuesday.

She is now calling for a defibrillator to be installed.

It was a miracle the man survived, Mr McKenzie said, as research shows that CPR performed out of hospital has an extremely low success rate.

In his line of work, Mr McKenzie said he often sees people who express hesitation when it comes to doing chest compressions, whether from being unsure of the technique or fearful of breaking a rib.

But, he added, it's essential that uninterrupted CPR is provided and it's firm enough to do the job.

"If you it's not hard and if it's not deep enough, it's not going to be effective and you are not going to get the heart pumping blood through to the brain," he said.

"Some people say 'if you crack a rib, that's a good sign' now that is false. Now, you shouldn't be afraid to crack ribs, but it's not a sign they're improving."

Mr McKenzie wants to see alarm-activated automated external defibrillator put out in the public, especially at Wagga Beach because it could make difference in saving a life.

"It happens a lot," he said. "I was a swift rescue operator with the SES, so I would get in the suit and get in the water. I am aware of the dangers.

"I don't think there's enough being done to protect the community.

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"There is the new precinct they are putting down there, that's going to see even more people at the beach. But what are they doing on the safety side?"

Mr McKenzie said the four steps of the chain of survival are crucial including early access which is the recognition of the emergency, and calling for medical help.

"Then there is early CPR, which is going to buy time for the ambulance to get there," he said. "Then there is early defibrillation and early advanced life support."

Mr McKenzie said he would encourage everyone to become trained in first aid to be able to render assistance if ever needed.