Maxey runner saved by CPR urges others to learn life-saving technique
It comes after the British Heart Foundation found that one in four adults do not know CPR
Last updated 1st Feb 2024
Tony Comber had a cardiac arrest while out running, and he was saved by a fellow runner who knew CPR.
He is now calling on people to learn how to perform the emergency procedure.
He said: “A runner noticed that I was not responsive and started the CPR whilst other runners went out to try and find defibrillators. That CPR went on for four minutes.
"That's a long time, but if you put that into perspective, an ambulance would take a lot longer to come. In that time, I could have died or had brain damage.
“It's a shame that more people don't know how to provide CPR. There is plenty of training out there, and I encourage everyone who can to do it.”
This comes after the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that more than four in 10 adults in the UK do not know how to do CPR.
A poll conducted on behalf of the charity also identified generational differences, with Gen Z (those aged 12 to 26) more likely to be better trained in the life-saving skill compared with older generations.
According to the BHF, more than 30,000 cardiac arrests each year in the UK take place outside a hospital setting and knowing CPR could save lives.
However, a survey by Censuswide of 2,002 people over the age of 16 found 43% had never learned how to do it.
Based on the proportion, BHF estimates this equates to 23 million people.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: "Every moment matters when someone has a cardiac arrest, and being able to step in and perform CPR could be the difference between life and death.
"A cardiac arrest can affect anyone, at any time, so we want as many people to learn CPR as possible."
Tony added: “You don't know when you will come across someone who is unresponsive and needs to have CPR performed on them, and even if you don't think you're doing it properly, any CPR is better than no CPR.
"You can save someone's life, it's really important.”