(Image: British Heart Foundation)
A Stockton grandad's heart stopped for three minutes after a parkrun.
Jason Wells, 56, collapsed moments after finishing Albert parkrun in Middlesbrough in March 2024, despite having no known heart problems.
The keen runner had finished the 5km event and was waiting with his family when he suddenly became unwell.
He said: "I had finished the parkrun and was standing with my son Jordan and granddaughter, waiting for the rest of our family.
"I suddenly felt lightheaded for a couple of seconds and tried to turn around to call my son.
"That was the moment I went into cardiac arrest."
His son caught him as he collapsed, while two off-duty paramedics at the event immediately began CPR.
The run director quickly fetched a defibrillator from outside The Heart Café visitor centre.
A shock was delivered, helping to restart Mr Wells' heart after it had stopped for three minutes.
"The last thing I remember seeing was my grandson only a few metres away," he said.
"The next thing I knew, I had this strange feeling of waking up in the park.
"Jordan told me my heart had stopped for three minutes."
Mr Wells was taken to James Cook University Hospital, where tests revealed blocked arteries and an undiagnosed congenital heart condition affecting his aortic valve.
Just 10 days later, he underwent major surgery, including a triple heart bypass and a valve replacement.
He said: "I had always been active. I played squash, enjoyed dancing and ran several times a week, so I had no idea that anything was wrong with my heart.
"I often think about how different things could have been. The defibrillator was only about ten metres away.
"If my cardiac arrest had happened five minutes later, when I was back at my car, I might not have survived."
"I am alive because people acted immediately, performed CPR and had a defibrillator nearby. Without those things, I wouldn't be here," he added.
Now, Jason is urging communities to ensure local defibrillators are registered and accessible in an emergency.
Despite the ordeal, Mr Wells returned to Albert parkrun just two weeks after surgery to thank those who helped save his life.
He gradually built up his fitness and, only a few months later, recorded a new parkrun personal best.
Ahead of Restart a Heart Day, he is sharing his story to encourage organisations and community groups to register defibrillators on The Circuit - the national network used by ambulance services to locate devices during emergencies.
Simon Dunn, head of The Circuit at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Jason's recovery is inspiring, and it shows what can happen when people recognise a cardiac arrest is happening, begin CPR and have quick access to a defibrillator."
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Following the incident, Albert parkrun volunteers raised funds for a second defibrillator and introduced a dedicated 'defibrillator marshal' role.
Mr Wells added: "I know first-hand that quick access to a defibrillator can mean the difference between someone going home to their family and not coming home at all."