At the recent Dallas Marathon on Sunday, Dec 10th a runner died. Kind of. Dwayne Pickens, a contestant at the marathon, did not have a pulse for about two minutes before being revived.

At about the ninth mile of the marathon Pickens began to have difficulty breathing. Shortly after that he was lying face down on the pavement. Other runners noticed Pickens’ problem and called for help.

Luckily for Pickens, Lt. Martin Leos of the Dallas Fire-Rescue department was on-scene and was about 20 yards away. Leos was also running in the Dallas Marathon. Leos and a Baylor Medical Center athletic trainer Jeremy Bolden were able to begin to give him help. When they got to him, Leos and Bolden noticed that he was lightly breathing, but he had no pulse. “[Leos] started chest compressions and I started with airway control,” said Bolden. Unfortunately they could not get Pickens’ heart started again. Dr. Alex Eastman, a trauma surgeon was called, and arrived on the scene to help, and paramedics two blocks away with a defibrillator were able to resuscitate Pickens. Dr. Eastman said that, in his 16 years in the medical profession, he has never seen someone comeback from a heart attack as well as Pickens.

A few minutes after getting to the paramedics, Pickens was breathing again. “I wasn’t aware I had a condition.” Pickens said. “I have been running since last January and while, not having any issues until I got into the race”. After that Pickens was placed in the hospital for a while. Pickens said that he only actually remembers having difficulties breathing during the race, and then waking up in his hospital room. Two of his rescuers came to visit him while he recovered in the hospital. “Obviously, thank you for being there at that time and saving my life,” he said.

Pickens has said that he plans to participate in the next Dallas Marathon after he recovers from his heart attack, and that he his thankful for his second chance at life that he was given.