S'pore man, 53, suffers cardiac arrest after jog, survives thanks to CPR by Good Samaritans

A 53-year-old man in Singapore, surnamed Huang (transliteration), had just returned home from his night jog in December 2025 when he suffered a cardiac arrest and fell into a coma.

In response, Huang's wife called the emergency hotline and sought help from their neighbour, who happened to be a fitness instructor with first-aid skills, reported Shin Min Daily News.

The neighbour, along with three members of the public, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Huang before he was conveyed to the hospital.

After undergoing surgery, Huang was hospitalised for eight days and was discharged on Dec. 24, 2025.

In coma for 3 days

Speaking to Shin Min, Huang shared that he was unable to recall what happened on the day of the incident, as he was in a coma for three days after being sent to the hospital.

"I could not even remember that I had initially gone for a jog. I could only recall feeling unwell and immediately returning home to rest. It was not until my family recounted the whole story that I vaguely recalled what happened," said Huang.

According to him, he returned home from his night jog at around 8:40pm on Dec. 16, 2025.

He then lay down on his sofa after experiencing difficulty in breathing, but he fell into a coma shortly afterwards.

"My wife immediately called 995. My son also performed CPR on me according to the training he received in school," added Huang.

myResponder volunteers also came to help

Shortly after Huang's neighbour, who is a fitness instructor, came over to help, three other members of the public who live nearby also arrived at the scene, reported Shin Min.

Huang shared that they were volunteers responding to an alert on the myResponder app, which was issued as his wife dialled the emergency hotline.

The myResponder app is an app developed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) that notifies the public of nearby fire and medical incidents.

After arriving at Huang's unit, one member of the public took out an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) while another took over CPR from Huang's neighbour.

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed they received a call for assistance at around 8:40pm on Dec. 16, 2025.

SCDF conveyed one person to Woodlands Health Campus.

'Miracle' not suffering any after-effects

After Huang was sent to Woodlands Health Campus, he was transferred to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where he underwent surgery, reported Shin Min.

Citing his doctors, Huang said it was a miracle that he did not sustain any after-effects despite suffering from a cardiac arrest.

After being discharged from the hospital, Huang visited his neighbour to convey his gratitude. 

However, as the other three members of the public did not leave behind their contact information, Huang was unable to thank them in person.

Huang shared that he hoped to publicise his experience to thank volunteers, such as the three individuals who came to his rescue, and to raise awareness of the myResponder app.

He added that he would also pay more attention to his diet and his health moving forward.

Top images via Canva & firstaidtraining.com; photo for illustration purposes only