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Actor Dustin Hoffman is being hailed as a hero in London.

The Hollywood veteran was in London's Hyde Park enjoying a morning walk late last month when he saw 27-year-old jogger Sam Dempster stagger and then collapse face first to the ground.

Dempster, an Australian lawyer, had suffered a heart attack. Hoffman stuck by his side.

Paramedic Martin Macarthur from the London Ambulance Service arrived on the scene along with his colleague, Luke Sullivan.

Macarthur told Britain's Press Association,  "As we got out of the ambulance Dustin Hoffman explained what had happened. It is essential to get a history of what has happened and what he witnessed."

He added, "Hoffman stayed on the scene for the whole duration of the resuscitation which was about 15 minutes."

Dempster was reportedly administered one shock from a defibrillator and regained consciousness.

When it became clear the patient was stabilized, the 74-year-old actor congratulated the crew, saying, "Great job, guys."

Dempster was then taken to the hospital where he underwent life-saving surgery.

The lawyer's been writing about his brush with death on his own blog. Dempster thanked Hoffman and the paramedics for saving his life. He said he's "indebted" to Hoffman, who he called his "new-found favorite celebrity."