Survivor Stories

In June 2018 I was attending my regular Parkrun event at Blackbutt Reserve in Newcastle, a  5km weekly timed event. I was 55 years of age, married, 2 adult children and  in excellent health (so I thought). I was approximately 500 metres from the finishing line and was running with a friend , All of…

Marcus collapsed without any warning signs or symptoms…. Marcus Rodrigs, an otherwise healthy local University Academic ,experienced a sudden out of hospital cardiac arrest on the 29th of April 2022 at 0930pm. Whilst out dancing with friends at the local Bowling Club and experiencing nil warning symptoms he collapsed to the floor becoming unresponsive. Quick…

Just before Christmas in 2020 Peter Martine , a 57 year old former Westpac Rescue Helicopter Crewman and active Surf Lifesaver, was talking to his wife and daughter when he suddenly slumped into a chair and became unresponsive. Peter had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, but quick-thinking wife Teena and daughter Macy recognised that he…

Peter Morrissey was a regular morning swimmer at Merewether baths but on February 10th 2020 he was lucky that the water was too dirty to swim. Instead of a swim he decided to walk along the beach to Dixon Park and back and then did some laps up and down the stairs behind the baths.…

Heath and Jenny Schiemer awoke at 0430 the day after Anzac Day in 2019 to sound of abnormal breathing/moaning coming from their son John’s room. They found him face down, eyes rolled back and unresponsive. John had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest that morning due to a medical condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a condition which…

Professor David Durrheim was out for an early morning cross country run at 6am on October 20th, 2014, when he collapsed on the path. David had suffered a cardiac arrest only a few minutes into his morning run. Luckily, a lady out walking found him shortly after, realising he was unresponsive and not breathing, she…