Caters
A teenager's heart stopped for SEVEN MINUTES after he collapsed while running to get his coat at college.
Dan Edwards, 17, had a heart attack as he ran upstairs at Worcester College of Technology.
He blacked out and smashed his head on a computer table - but despite the fact his heart had stopped beating for so long, engineering student Dan made a 'miracle' recovery because of the quick-thinking efforts of college staff.
Engineering manager Matt Harwood heard Dan fall and initially thought he had fainted, according to the local newspaper. He and other colleagues performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the unconscious teen and as they battled to revivie him yelped: "Come on Dan, you can make it!"
Their efforts were enough to keep him alive until paramedics arrived with specialist equipment.
'Walking miracle' Dan - who came out of hospital two weeks ago - recalled: "The only thing I can remember is feeling like I was in a swimming pool and I had fallen asleep. I could hear the faint voices of the paramedics calling my name. It hasn't sunk in yet. I'm just relieved to still be here."
Matt added: "We knew his life was in the balance. The paramedics were first class and reassured us we did the correct thing and had given him a fighting chance. It was almost like someone was smiling down on him."
Dan was rushed to intensive care at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital where he spent four days in a coma while receiving 24-hour, one-to-one nursing care.
He was placed on a ventilator and packed in ice to reduce the risk of him developing brain damage.
His mum, Sue, 40, said: "He's a walking miracle. It was terrible - I didn't want to come home. I didn't want to leave him. It was such a relief when he recovered."
Dan has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and has now been fitted with a matchbox-sized cardioverter defibrillator to regulate his heartbeat.