By Desire Emmanuel with Agency Reports
A man’s life was saved miraculously by fellow runners when his heart suddenly stopped while he was running in the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror reported on Friday, October 16.
The man, Chris Poole, was running a marathon with his regular group, Redway Runners, when he collapsed suddenly.
Chris, 40, thought he was fit and healthy – training three to four times a week and having completed multiple half-marathons and two full marathons.
Fortunately when he collapsed, a run leader from the group who had recently had CPR training began chest compressions immediately, while others called emergency number.
Another club member ran to collect a defibrillator from a nearby gym, and within minutes, air and road ambulances had arrived.
Chris was resuscitated using CPR and defibrillator shocks before being taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, where he spent almost 50 days in hospital, including time in a medically-induced coma.
“One moment I was standing there waiting to start the session, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in hospital days later,” he said.
“I had no warning signs, no pain – nothing. It’s terrifying to hear what happened to you when you weren’t conscious for any of it.”
Chris, a security engineer, had just returned from holiday and nearly skipped the session, feeling tired, but ended up going after being persuaded by his wife – a decision he now believes helped save his life.
He said: “I survived because people around me knew what to do, CPR started immediately, and there was a defibrillator close by. If just one of those things hadn’t been in place, I might not be here.”
Doctors later confirmed Chris had had a cardiac arrest caused by acute myocarditis, leading to heart failure. Having had no idea or indication of a heart problem before, he now lives with an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and will need lifelong medication.
“I’m grateful to be alive, but I’m also learning how to live again. The physical and mental recovery has been tough, but I’ve refused to let this define me. Instead, it’s given me even greater determination to move forward.
“I’m focused on getting back to running, and one day I hope to stand on another marathon start line knowing I’ve overcome the biggest challenge of my life.”
