My X Factor rival saved my life

With tattoos, a pierced tongue and studded ears, Dave Hughes looks more like a rock god than first-aid hero. And that’s just the impression the 37-year-old frontman of Perth band Huge wanted to give as he nervously prepared for his shot at fame in front of the judges on The X Factor recently.

Instead, he found himself the guardian angel of fellow contestant Rozanna Gavey, who collapsed and was dead, before Dave rushed to her rescue. She was out for three minutes.

Budding vocalist Rozanna, 17, was sitting quietly on the floor, having finished her stint behind the practice microphone, when the incident happened.
‘I sat down then started feeling like I was flying,’ she says.

With 500 hopefuls in the room, Dave didn’t realise a fellow contestant had collapsed.
‘My girlfriend noticed a commotion, so I jumped up and could tell immediately from Rozanna’s white colour that she was in trouble,’ says Dave, who works as a clinical nurse at Royal Perth Hospital. ‘I looked for a pulse but it was obvious her heart had stopped beating, so I began CPR.’

Horrified onlookers watched on as Dave hammered away on the teen’s chest. ‘After a short while she regained consciousness and pushed me off,’ laughs Dave, who was promised a spot at the front of the queue if he accompanied Rozanna in the ambulance.
‘It’s satisfying to bring someone back, but I do it almost every day.’

Rozanna, who is now undergoing health checks, adds: ‘I have no memory of what happened, but Dave did a great job and I’m very lucky he was there. I hope he does well in the competition.’

While Dave progressed through to the next round, he was philosophical about his chances of winning.
‘Everything happens for a reason,’ he says.
‘If saving Rozanna is the only reason I was there, that’s fine by me!’

By: Natalee Fuhrmann

• The X Factor screens 7.30pm, Monday and Sunday, on Channel Seven.