Guy flatlined in my gym this morning

[Scrumhalf]

and was brought back by the paramedics.

My gym (24 hour Fitness) has 2 floors. The cardio is downstairs and the weights are upstairs in kind of a mezzanine area that has a railing that looks down on to the cardio area.

I was between sets when I saw some paramedics running into the gym with their equipment. Looking down into the cardio area, I saw a guy spreadeagled on his back between the stairmasters and the treadmills, completely out of it. No movement.

The paramedics used the defibrillator on him and then did CPR. This went on for a good 15 to 20 minutes. I was certain he was a goner given how long they worked on him.

The wacky thing was that a whole bunch of people continued to do their treadmill and stairmaster within 5 feet of the guy while he was being brought back into the world of the living - It was a surreal sight. I'm not sure I could have carried on as though nothing happened - it's not like he fell off the treadmill and twisted his ankle.

Finally, they wheeled him off in an ambulance and I heard from the girl at the front desk that he was breathing and had a pulse. She was pretty shaken up though. It did make me think a bit - you come to the gym for a workout and nearly leave in a body bag.

 

[quevola]

Wow - that's scary. Was the guy obese?

 

[Scrumhalf]

Not particularly. I mean, he was about 6 feet tall and perhaps 225 or so, a bit pudgy around the middle but not particularly obese or anything. Pretty young too - mid thirties I would estimate. Pretty typical gym guy trying to lose a few pounds, I would say. Yeah, it did give me pause. I mean, people die every day but to almost happen right in front of your eyes was sobering.

 

[Joffrey]

Originally Posted by Scrumhalf

and was brought back by the paramedics.

My gym (24 hour Fitness) has 2 floors. The cardio is downstairs and the weights are upstairs in kind of a mezzanine area that has a railing that looks down on to the cardio area.

I was between sets when I saw some paramedics running into the gym with their equipment. Looking down into the cardio area, I saw a guy spreadeagled on his back between the stairmasters and the treadmills, completely out of it. No movement.

The paramedics used the defibrillator on him and then did CPR. This went on for a good 15 to 20 minutes. I was certain he was a goner given how long they worked on him.

The wacky thing was that a whole bunch of people continued to do their treadmill and stairmaster within 5 feet of the guy while he was being brought back into the world of the living - It was a surreal sight. I'm not sure I could have carried on as though nothing happened - it's not like he fell off the treadmill and twisted his ankle.

Finally, they wheeled him off in an ambulance and I heard from the girl at the front desk that he was breathing and had a pulse. She was pretty shaken up though. It did make me think a bit - you come to the gym for a workout and nearly leave in a body bag.

One sunday afternoon, an old man sitting behind my family lost consciousness and was unresponsive. His daughter was crying for him not to leave her then. Members of her family dial 911 from their seats. Paramedics arrive, revive him and help him out of the building. The catholic mass went on without a pause.

 

[crazyquik]

Med school professor in his late 40-early 50s died playing racquetball a year or so ago. He played every week with another professor. Presumably those guys would know their limits?

Sometimes it just happens.

 

[DGP]

Wow, I soooooooo misread the title as: "Guy flatulated in my gym this morning"

Hope the guy was OK!!!

 

[sho'nuff]

wow. that is terrible i hope he is fine. i would have definitely stopped and saw what is wrong. someone started coughing violently after doing some cardio i immediatley stop to see what is wrong or if he needs emergency help. luckily it was just a fluke. but jeez, people can be so insensitive to things around them that they keep doing their cardio when someone is near death?

 

[Shiny]

On sign that I had arrived in the big city was when I saw a guy collapse by the subway station a few years back. I think he was suffering from physical exhaustion and not having a heart attack. He went down on his back and started loosening his tie as he was lying down. A couple of people surrounded him around his head area and were asking him questions.

However, a good number of people jumped over his legs as they attempted to make their train. Not even a second glance! It was as if people were skipping over a rain puddle as they continued to walk by.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by Shiny

On sign that I had arrived in the big city was when I saw a guy collapse by the subway station a few years back. I think he was suffering from physical exhaustion and not having a heart attack. He went down on his back and started loosening his tie as he was lying down. A couple of people surrounded him around his head area and were asking him questions.

However, a good number of people jumped over his legs as they attempted to make their train. Not even a second glance! It was as if people were skipping over a rain puddle as they continued to walk by.

well, in a situation like that i can understand if you have to get somewhere whether work or someplace and your train arrives, im sure theyre thinking "this guy looks to be in trouble but i gotta go sorry, enough people here to help him i suppose" and move on.

but the workout ? keep watching tv or listening to your ipod while you tread away while some guy is in front of you dying. i would step off just to give clearance to the paramedics if anything.

 

[Scrumhalf]

Originally Posted by sho'nuff

but the workout ? keep watching tv or listening to your ipod while you tread away while some guy is in front of you dying. i would step off just to give clearance to the paramedics if anything.

Yeah, that was the surreal part. There were about 5 paramedics surrounding the guy. One had the defibrillator, the 2nd was pushing on his chest to get his breathing going, the third had the display unit that showed his heartbeat. And while this guy was fighting for his life, there were a half dozen people within 5 feet of the medics happily going on with their cardio... WTF?

I'm surprised they didn't clear the area, but regardless, have some respect for the guy and at least suspend your workout for a few minutes, for crying out loud...

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Scrumhalf

I'm surprised they didn't clear the area, but regardless, have some respect for the guy and at least suspend your workout for a few minutes, for crying out loud...

I'd think it would be hard to continue working out while a person is in life threatening distress within the vicinity of you.

 

[wahwho11]

wow those guys are dicks...

 

[JoelF]

Personally I'd grab this as a great excuse to interrupt cardio which I hate, but sounds like it didn't affect this guy one way or the other for people to continue working out. People check out in all kinds of different ways, doing it at the gym isn't so bad at all. Used to have a running joke w my trainer about what would happen the day he finally killed me at the gym.

 

[1969]

After getting my cholesterol checked and getting some pretty bad results ( http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=163639) I'm going to get a Heart Scan tomorrow that will tell me how much plaque I have built up. That score will be the best available measure of my risk for sudden heart attack. Unless they have to operate right then and there, my treatment approach will probably be the same regardless of how bad the score is, but I'd just rather know if I'm a prime candidate to have a Tim Russert.

 

[acidboy]

whoa. poor guy, hope there was no further damage to his system after flatlining that long.