Paremedic who suffered a cardiac arrest hopes to set a world record

A paramedic who '˜died' for quarter of an hour when he suffered a cardiac arrest is looking to set a world record.
Paramedic: Chris Solomons, who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2010, is hoping to set a world record.Paramedic: Chris Solomons, who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2010, is hoping to set a world record.
Paramedic: Chris Solomons, who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2010, is hoping to set a world record.

Chris Solomons, from Outwood, suffered his cardiac arrest in 2010 and will now try to set a record for the largest gathering of survivors of the condition.

A crew were filming for television show Helicopter Heroes when Chris had his attack and captured footage of the moment was resuscitated by his colleagues.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He felt “right as rain” when he left for work that morning but began to have chest pains while driving.

He said: “When I was on the motorway the pain got really bad. I was driving and my hands were clamped to the steering wheel in spasm.

“How I drove I don’t know but I knew I needed to get help so I carried on. If I turned around to go home I wouldn’t be here now.

People say it’s like an elephant sitting on your chest but it was worse. It’s was more like being in middle of a tug of war with eight Jonah Lomus pulling on each side of the rope.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He eventually made it to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance base at Yeadon where he worked, went into cardiac arrest, and collapsed.

He said: “The next thing I remember is waking up in hospital. I was, for lack of a better word, dead for 15 minutes.”

The footage captured for the programme was the first detailed clip of a person suffering a cardiac arrest.

Since then Chris has travelled around the world telling his story and promoting his support group Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

More than 100 people are expected at the gathering, to be held at Essex Cardiothoracic Centre tomorrow to make their mark in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Those taking part will be tagged by judges on their way in and out of the room to ensure the count is accurate.

Chris, 56, said: “Hopefully it will make people aware of the support group. If someone has survived a cardiac arrest they can be at a loss over what support they can seek but there are people out there in the same boat who can help.”

Previous stunts by the group have included walking over the dome on top of the O2 Arena in London and abseiling from the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the huge red metal tower built for the 2012 Olympics.