Nelson police area commander Mat Arnold-Kelly is praising the quick-thinking of officers who saved a woman in cardiac arrest.

Smart police work and smart technology combined to help save the life of a woman in Nelson.

The alarm was raised at the Stoke tennis courts on Wednesday when a woman in her 60s playing in a social tennis match went into cardiac arrest. As other players rushed to her aid, another rang for an ambulance and a club member ran to the nearby police station and three officers responded to her calls.

Nelson Bays Area Commander Inspector Mat Arnold-Kelly said the officers realised the woman was in need of urgent medical attention and started CPR.

"They used an app on their smartphones to locate the nearest defibrillator, which was at a local supermarket. Thankfully they were able to get the defibrillator and successfully re-started the woman's heart."

A police spokeswoman said the woman remained in intensive care this morning.

Inspector Arnold-Kelly said the incident highlighted the value of defibrillators being kept in public places.

"We know time is of the essence in these situations and being able to quickly source this specialist equipment really is a life saver."

He also encouraged people to download the defibrillator app to their smartphone. The app is AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Locations. Anyone can use a defibrillator by following the instructions.