A Pitt Meadows man who suffered a heart attack while cycling has found the two people he credits with saving his life.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, Paul Craig was cycling along the dike between Neaves Road and Harris Road on the south side of the Alouette when, all of a sudden, the 59-year-old felt dizzy.
He stopped cycling, he said, and then just blacked out.
He could only hear the voices of the two people who found him and moments later the sounds of the sirens of first responders.
Then he felt an incredible pain in his chest, from what he learned later, was his heart stopping.
After receiving two shocks using an AED, Craig was revived by first responders. He spent the next 16 days recovering in hospital.
Upon his release he wanted to connect with the Good Samaritans who helped him that day, to thank them and let them know he survived, and he made a public appeal to find them.
“I’m thrilled to have made contact with the Good Samaritans that came to my aid when I had my cardiac arrest on the dike in Pitt Meadows,” said Craig.
“The fact that they—who wish to remain anonymous—now know that I’m alive and doing well really means a lot to me and my family. I feel this will help me close this chapter of my life and move on to whatever the future holds for me,” said the cyclist.
Craig’s brother, Jim, died 18 years ago from a similar cardiac event while they were cycling together.
“His tragedy makes my survival a powerful second chance,” he noted.