A 37-year-old man, Dale Bilson from Castle Donington, Leicestershire, has shared his terrifying experience of nearly dying while attempting to keep up with his wife’s gym class. In August, he reluctantly joined her for an early morning HIIT session, not anticipating the life-threatening situation he would face.
“I felt unusually fatigued during the warm-up,” Dale recounted. Despite this, he pushed through the first round of exercises but soon felt a tightness in his chest, which he dismissed, fearing judgment from the other participants. After completing just one set of burpees and squat thrusts, his wife noticed his struggle and remarked, “You’ve already stopped; I thought you were fitter than this.”
Determined to prove himself, Dale stayed for another five minutes, hoping the discomfort would fade. However, after stepping outside for fresh air, he experienced persistent pain. After 15 minutes, his wife insisted on taking him to the hospital, a decision that ultimately saved his life.
Upon arrival, Dale went into cardiac arrest just minutes later. Medical staff performed CPR and used a mechanical device to revive him. Despite initial attempts to restart his heart failing, he was resuscitated after about seven or eight minutes without a heartbeat. He was warned that if the downtime exceeded nine minutes, his chances of survival would significantly diminish.
Thankfully, doctors were able to restart his heart, revealing he had previously undiagnosed blocked arteries. Now, a father and regular exerciser with no prior heart issues, Dale is on a mission to raise awareness about the risks of heart disease.
