Phill Zdybel, 57, a fitness instructor and taekwondo teacher from Geelong, Victoria, Australia, has described the extraordinary experience he remembers from the 28 minutes he was technically dead. He collapsed during a recreational basketball game in November 2022 after going into cardiac arrest.
Out-of-body experience during cardiac arrest
Mr Zdybel said he experienced an "out-of-body" sensation and remembers the strange feeling of looking down at himself from above. Speaking to the Geelong Advertiser in 2023, he described himself as a "miracle man" following his remarkable survival, saying: "I was not going anywhere."
His collapse and cardiac arrest were later revealed to have been caused by a coronary artery aneurysm. His son, Joshua, called paramedics after his dad collapsed, while an off-duty nurse who happened to be at the gym immediately stepped in to help and performed CPR.
Hospital recovery and surgery
Mr Zdybel was rushed to hospital following the emergency and remained unconscious for three days while recovering from the ordeal. He also required surgery to have a stent inserted. It was only after waking up that he was told he had technically been dead for 28 minutes.
Mr Zdybel said he owes his life to basketball and its fans because there were enough people around him at the gym to come to his aid when he collapsed. He believes that if the cardiac arrest had happened elsewhere, nobody may have found him in time.
Changed outlook and CPR advocacy
The martial arts instructor spent a week at Geelong Hospital and said his quick recovery was helped by his positive attitude as well as the fact he was in good physical condition. Writing on Facebook following the incident, he said: "It's all about your mindset [that's] going to keep you going. In my books, there is only one key element, [which is] hard physical training, but each to their own."
The experience has since changed the way Mr Zdybel looks at life and has even prompted him to reconsider retiring from combat sports. Speaking to the Advertiser days after competing in a tournament alongside his son, he said: "All the little things we worry about are not worth worrying about. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do anything."
Mr Zdybel also hopes his experience will encourage others to become certified in CPR, saying the skill could ultimately save somebody's life. He said: "Everyone needs to do CPR, and all workplaces, sports venues and the like should have defibrillators on hand." Around 356,000 Americans suffer cardiac events every year, either at home or in public, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, and nearly 90% of those cases are fatal.
