EXCLUSIVE: Man Who Went Into Cardiac Arrest During Philadelphia Half-Marathon Meets Runner Credited With Saving His Life
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Only Eyewitness News was there when a runner met the man who helped save his life. When the son of the man who went into cardiac arrest appeared on Eyewitness News last month hoping to find the good Samaritan, the wife of the cardiologist who started CPR was watching.
That led to Tuesday night when the two met.
The 57-year-old runner went down right at the 12.5-mile mark. Howard Walters says he could see the finish line moments before he went into cardiac arrest.
But the cardiologist who was trailing him believes their encounter was fate.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous but I'm very nervous," Walters said.
It's an exciting nervousness. Walters knew something important was about to happen.
"How often do you meet someone who stopped and saved your life?" he asked.
Walters was one of thousands participating in the Philadelphia Half-Marathon on Nov. 23 when he went into cardiac arrest.
"My hands went all tingly and not just a little bit tingly, I mean incredibly tingly like I've never felt in my life," Walters said.
Moments later, Walters was on the pavement without a pulse. And as others passed him, one runner stopped and started CPR.
On Tuesday night, Walters and his wife Michele came face to face with the runner who doctors credit for saving his life.
"I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. It's hard for me to talk right now because it's just been a lot going on," Michele told Mark Zweben.
Zweben says he wasn't concerned about his time. It was just his instinct to stop.
"We're always going to be able to run another race. This was someone who obviously needed a lot of help really quickly," Zweben said.
Tears for the words that left both couples speechless all just grateful for a spared life.
Walters says he's also grateful for the first responders who took over for Zweben after starting CPR.