A firefighter in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, who collapsed from cardiac arrest while running, has successfully recovered thanks to the prompt CPR performed by his son.

According to the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Fire Headquarters, Lee Jong-wook, the chief of the Gimje Fire Station, suddenly collapsed on October 11 while running with his son, Lee Kang-hyun, at Mohyeon Park in Iksan.

Witnessing his father collapse and fall into cardiac arrest, the younger Lee immediately called 119 and, recalling the CPR he had learned from his father, started chest compressions right away.

The son continued CPR for about five minutes until 119 paramedics arrived, and by the time the emergency crew reached the scene, Chief Lee's pulse had partially returned.

However, another cardiac arrest occurred seven minutes later.

In response, the paramedics immediately performed advanced life support measures, including defibrillation, and restored his heartbeat.

After being transferred to Wonkwang University Hospital and undergoing surgery, Chief Lee made a full recovery and returned to work on November 2, three weeks later.

The fire authorities noted that a precious life was saved through a seamless chain of survival: the family's prompt CPR, the paramedics' professional resuscitation efforts, and the swift, expert medical treatment by the hospital staff.

Chief Lee remarked that while he has saved many lives while working as a firefighter throughout his life, he never expected his son to save his own. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his son for staying calm and to the paramedics for doing their absolute best.

Jin Hyung-min, head of the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, emphasized, "This is a meaningful case where the CPR that a father taught his son ended up saving the father's life. We will strengthen our training programs so that more residents can learn and practice CPR."

(Photo provided by Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, Yonhap News)