Houston marathon runner's near-death experience sparks community action
Houston man died during marathon, was revived
A local marathon runner was brought back to life after suffering from cardiac arrest in 2017 during the Chevron Houston Marathon and now uses his survival to inspire local initiatives to teach CPR to the community.
HOUSTON - A local marathon runner was brought back to life after suffering from cardiac arrest in 2017 and now uses his survival to inspire local initiatives to teach CPR to the community.
Marathoner brought back to life
Rand Mintzer was an experienced marathon runner, participating in his 25th race when he suddenly felt unwell. Despite feeling hot, sweaty, and suffering from heartburn, he continued running until he saw dark spots and collapsed.
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His life was saved by the quick actions of bystanders who knew CPR.
What we know:
Mintzer, a criminal defense attorney, was running a marathon in Houston when he collapsed from cardiac arrest. Bystanders revived him, including a doctor and a nurse, who administered CPR for eight minutes.
A nearby elderly care center had a defibrillator and quickly raced it to help him. The American Heart Association states that the survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is only 10%.
Timeline:
January 15, 2017: Rand Mintzer collapses during the Houston Marathon.
Immediate CPR is administered by nearby individuals, saving his life.
Rand stops running marathons but continues to walk five miles daily.
What they're saying:
"I died for 8 minutes. Fortunately, where I happened to drop dead, there were quite a few people who knew CPR, and they administered CPR non-stop. I lost the genetic lottery, and I thought that good diet and exercise could compensate for that, and apparently did not, but no one was more surprised than I was," states Rand.
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Local perspective:
Inspired by Rand's survival, many in the community are now learning CPR. The Houston Area Road Runners have trained over 1,000 members, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for emergencies.
Dig deeper:
You can sign up for CPR training and learn how to save a life. Visit the American Heart Association's website at https://cpr.heart.org/en for more information.
The Source: FOX 26's Melissa Wilson interviewed Rand Mintzer to gather information.