“Just as his firefighter father taught him” ... Son uses CPR to save father in cardiac arrest

[Financial News]  A story has belatedly come to light about an active-duty firefighter who collapsed from cardiac arrest while running with his son and recovered safely thanks to his son’s cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
According to Yonhap News Agency and the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Fire Headquarters on the 6th, Lee Jong-wook, 58, chief of Gimje Fire Station, suddenly collapsed at around 9 p.m. on the 11th of last month while running with his son, Lee Kang-hyun, 27, at Mohyeon Park in Iksan, Jeonbuk.
Seeing that his father had gone into cardiac arrest, Kang-hyun immediately called 119 and began CPR, which he had learned from his father. He continued chest compressions for about five minutes until emergency responders arrived, and Chief Lee’s pulse gradually returned.
But seven minutes later, he went into cardiac arrest again, and emergency responders immediately restored his heartbeat with advanced emergency treatment, including defibrillation. Chief Lee was transferred to Wonkwang University Hospital and underwent surgery; he returned to work on the 2nd of this month, three weeks later.
Chief Lee said, “I’ve spent my life as a firefighter saving many lives, but I never imagined my son would save mine,” adding, “I’m sincerely grateful to my son for responding calmly and to the emergency responders for doing their very best.”
Jin Hyeong-min, head of the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, said, “This is a meaningful case in which CPR taught by a father to his son saved the father’s life in turn,” adding, “We will strengthen training so that more residents of the province can learn and practice CPR.”
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter