Medic: How I survived after 68 minutes without a pulse

HENNEPIN COUNTY, Minn. — A paramedic has spoken how he was brought back to life after going 68 minutes without a pulse.

Photo Hennepin County EMS Paramedic Wayne Schneider (seated) credits his colleagues and technology for saving his life.

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Hennepin County, Minn., paramedic Wayne Schneider, 56, and Greg Booth, his medic partner, were putting a patient on a stretcher and preparing to load him into the ambulance when Schneider suffered cardiac arrest.

Booth immediately started performing CPR and called dispatch, and two other medics quickly arrived.

They started automated CPR before transporting him to Hennepin County Medical Center, where they continued resuscitation efforts with the ResQPOD and a LUCAS mechanical CPR device.

After 68 minutes of CPR with the devices, followed by interventional cardiology and therapeutic hypothermia, Schneider stabilized.

He was released from hospital just two weeks later.

Schneider said he attributes his survival to getting immediate, high quality CPR as well as the use of the new technology.

"This whole thing is so surprising to me — it's just a perfect storm that saved my life," Schneider said. "I know the odds of cardiac arrest, and statistically speaking, I should not be here today."