Half Marathon Winner Helps Save Life of Runner
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Half marathon runner Alan Ash crossed the finish line Saturday as the winner, not knowing that a true race against time wasn’t too far away.
Ash circled back to Catoma Street and Maxwell Boulevard to cheer for a friend running the marathon.
That’s when he witnessed a man in his 60’s running and then collapsing.
Ash sprung into action.
“He was not breathing very well. We didn’t think he had consciousness. The man helping him took my room card from where my parents were staying in the hotel to keep his tongue out of the way so he could get oxygen,” said Ash.
What they needed was help.
Ash just so happened to be feet away from his church’s office at Church of the Highlands.
There was a prayer group meeting that morning.
“So I ran in the building and they were worshipping… I said, ‘we need a doctor. Someone is dying outside!'” said Ash.
A nursing student and an athletic trainer happened to be there that morning.
“She gave chest compressions while I gave mouth to mouth,” said nursing student Briana Conn.
“The Lord had me there at that spot for a purpose. I was just focused on keeping this man alive until more help could get there,” said Conn.
They say paramedics arrived within 10 minutes and were able to shock the man back to life and take him to the hospital.
Looking back, they see it was nothing short of divine intervention.
“There was 13 miles for him to fall down, he happened to fall down right next to a church where there was a nursing student and an athletic trainer ready to give CPR. The sermon that weekend was on miracles. It was definitely the Lord at work,” said Ash.
“And it really was a miracle,” said Conn.
We are told the runner is recovering in the hospital.
