As he had done countless times before, Rich Williams, a fit, lean, 62-year-old, joined friends for a long bicycle ride through Lebanon County farm country on the morning of Sept. 4, 2021, unaware of the ticking time bomb in his chest.

He has no memory of what happened next. The cardiac arrest, the bike crash, the ambulance ride to the hospital – it’s all a blur. What he knows is that he is alive today because friends leapt to his aid, called 911, and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the crucial minutes before help came.

It’s a compelling reminder of the unpredictable nature of sudden cardiac arrest, and the vital role ordinary bystanders can play when the unexpected happens.

More than 350,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year, and about 90% die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 80% of sudden cardiac arrests occur at home or in a nursing home setting, while about 21% occur at work and in other public areas. Warning signs are rare.

“I heard someone holler ‘Rich went down,’” said fellow rider Bobbie Ayers, a registered nurse and clinical vendor consultant at Capital Blue Cross. That triggered a textbook emergency response.

Story continued https://thinkcapitalbluecross.com/ 

THINK (Trusted Health Information, News, and Knowledge) is a community publication of Capital Blue Cross. Our mission is to provide education, resources, and news on the latest health and insurance issues.

Information provided to TVL by:
JERRY REIMENSCHNEIDER

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