A photo of Jang Yun-su provided by himself
A photo of Jang Yun-su provided by himself

An Air Force doctor participating in a Half marathon revived a fellow participant who collapsed due to cardiac arrest during the competition, local rescue authorities said Monday.

Capt. Jang Yun-su of the 5th Air Mobility Wing was taking part in the run in Jeongeup in North Jeolla Province on Sunday when a 56-year-old runner fell unconscious and collapsed at the 10-kilometer point. The 34-year-old airman found that he was not breathing and did not have pulse, and resuscitated him with a defibrillator provided by emergency workers who arrived on the scene.

The victim's breathing and pulse came back after about 10 minutes thanks to quick response by Jang, an internal medicine physician who worked at a university hospital before enlisting to serve his mandatary military duties. Jang accompanied the man in an ambulance on the way to the National University Hospital, where the victim received treatment.

"I'd seen a number of cardiac arrests at the hospital, but I was caught off-guard as I was running the marathon myself. … Thank goodness the patient survived," Jang was quoted as saying.

He added that if a same situation happened again, he would of course attend to the patient without hesitation.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com