Man Revived Twice After Heart Attack on 59th Birthday Reunites with Heroes Who Saved His Life

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — On his 59th birthday, Doug Hanson died twice, only to be revived by a dedicated team of firefighters and paramedics."I don't think I made it completely out the door before I coded," Hanson said. A two-person crew from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue revived him the first time. "Then, I coded again in the ER," Hanson added.The call came in around 4 a.m. on what should have been a day of celebration for Hanson. "I did not expect to be celebrating my birthday in the hospital," he said.Jacob Moskowitz, one of the St. Petersburg Fire Rescue firefighter paramedics who responded to the call, noted that most chest pain calls are not cardiac-related. "This one just happened to be the real deal," he said.Hanson suffered a "widow maker" heart attack, a type of cardiac event with a survival rate of seven to twelve percent when they occur outside a hospital. "I've had an entire year to celebrate just being here," said Hanson. "It made me want to meet the people who saved my life."It was a birthday wish that crews from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue were happy to grant. "It's very rare that you get to meet a patient that you ran on," said Moskowitz. "Everyone on the call did phenomenal, and it was a team effort. I am just happy it turned out this way."The reunion, held at Pinellas County Fire & EMS, brought together members of Hanson's emergency medical team, including firefighters and paramedics from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and SunStar, dispatchers from Pinellas County Regional 911 Center, and medical staff from St. Anthony's Hospital.Jeremy Tinter, Director of Operations at SunStar Paramedics, emphasized the collaborative effort that saved Hanson's life. "St. Petersburg Fire Rescue arrived on the scene, provided essential early intervention, and worked seamlessly with our SunStar paramedic team to deliver advanced life support right there where it was needed most."Tinter added that Hanson went into cardiac arrest twice, once en route to the hospital and again upon arrival at the ER. The crews managed to revive him both times."The moment you guys walked in the door, I knew I was in good hands," Hanson said to the room full of his rescuers. "I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, or whatever's left of it."After hugs and emotional exchanges of heartfelt gratitude, Hanson was presented with one final gesture from his rescue team—a long overdue birthday cake.