A 41-year-old father-to-be from Gloucestershire has credited a gym owner's quick thinking and first aid skills with saving his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a workout class. Chris Wall collapsed mid-session at Catalyst Training in Cirencester in June 2025, and owner Robin Oakley, 39, immediately recognised the signs of cardiac arrest, beginning CPR and using a defibrillator.
Robin, who had dealt with two previous cardiac arrest incidents, acted swiftly alongside class members Jack and Alice. They checked Chris's vital signs and started CPR while others retrieved the defibrillator installed outside the gym and called 999. Chris received five shocks from the defibrillator—one from Robin and four from paramedics—and underwent CPR for around 30 minutes before being airlifted to Bristol Royal Infirmary.
Chris, who had felt tired and breathless that morning but thought nothing of it, said: 'I would not be here today if I wasn't in that gym class. I'm just super grateful that I was there and the guys knew what they were doing.' He spent three days in hospital, where doctors discovered a ruptured plaque in his artery caused a clot that blocked blood flow to his heart muscle.
Recovery was challenging, with bruised ribs from CPR and mental hurdles, but his partner Nikki encouraged short walks. Chris has since given up smoking and is training for the British Heart Foundation's London to Brighton bike ride while expecting his first child. The British Heart Foundation notes that early CPR and defibrillation can more than double survival chances for the over 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year.
