Home / Health / Dad Revived After 22 Minutes of Cardiac Arrest
Dad Revived After 22 Minutes of Cardiac Arrest
16 Sep
Summary
- A father was revived after being unconscious for 22 minutes due to cardiac arrest.
- Two individuals initiated CPR and used a defibrillator to save his life.
- New research indicates many people hesitate to use defibrillators in emergencies.
Marvin Joseph-Daay, 39, experienced a sudden cardiac arrest during a football match on December 14, 2025, in Reading. He remained unconscious for 22 minutes. Referee Michael Mcdonaugh immediately began CPR, while Richard Witt, equipped with a defibrillator, administered aid. Joseph-Daay required four shocks before a pulse returned. He had previously suffered a heart attack in 2019 and was diagnosed with heart failure.
Following the incident, Joseph-Daay was taken to Royal Berkshire Hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma and woke approximately 24 hours later. He expressed immense gratitude to Mcdonaugh and Witt for their swift actions. Within two days, he had a defibrillator device fitted and was discharged on Christmas Eve.
This event underscores a concerning statistic from the British Heart Foundation: despite over 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually in the UK, less than 10% survive. New research indicates that 69% of football fans fear using a defibrillator during a cardiac arrest. The British Heart Foundation and Sky Bet's 'Every Minute Matters' campaign aims to fund 400 community defibrillators over three years to combat this fear.
