Cardiac arrest survivor was 'luckiest man around'

Mark Wreford is urging others to get CPR training after his running group saved his life

A man whose life was saved by quick-thinking members of his running group who performed CPR and tracked down a defibrillator is raising awareness.

Mark Wreford had a cardiac arrest during a run on Bodmin Moor in December 2024 but he survived thanks to others who knew CPR and sprinted to retrieve the nearest defibrillator.

Fewer than one in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK, but first aid more than doubles survival rates, said the British Heart Foundation.

Mr Wreford, 65, said: "I was the luckiest person around to have people around who knew what to do, who knew where to go."

Mr Wreford was running with the Cornwall Canicross group, for people who go off-road with their dogs, when the emergency unfolded.

Runners Mark Wreford and David Starley with the defibrillator

Fellow runners including a paramedic started CPR while ultra-marathon runner David Starley sprinted to the village of Minions where there was a registered defibrillator.

Mr Wreford said: "I was leading, felt a little bit light-headed, and that's all I remember until I woke up in hospital."

Mr Starley, who ran back to the village with another runner, said: "I grabbed the bag and ran.

"It was a very quick run."

A defibrillator is a medical device which gives a high energy shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

The British Heart Foundation encouraged everyone to learn CPR through their free online tool, RevivR, and register local defibrillators on The Circuit.

Mr Wreford said: "If people do learn CPR and they do learn where defibrillators are, and everyone knows where they are, that's going to help."

Mr Wreford was diagnosed with coronary artery disease and underwent triple heart bypass surgery.

He is now back to running and plans to take on the Canicross Half Marathon next month.

"I'm one of the lucky few who survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest," he said.

"That's down to CPR, the defibrillator and the incredible people who were around me that day.

"Their rapid thinking and ability to run to source a defibrillator is just outstanding."