Man survives two-hour cardiac arrest before newborn daughter's birth

A 26-year-old man, Sam King, has survived a cardiac arrest that lasted nearly two hours, shortly before the birth of his daughter. The incident occurred in Hedge End, near Southampton, while his wife, Emma King, was 39 weeks pregnant.

After Sam became unresponsive, Emma performed CPR for 15 minutes under emergency instructions until paramedics arrived. Medical teams worked for approximately two hours to stabilize him, administering eleven defibrillator shocks. Sam was subsequently placed in an induced coma at St Thomas' Hospital in London, where he was noted to be among the country's most critically ill patients.

Following 12 days in intensive care, Sam began to recover. Four days after the cardiac arrest, Emma gave birth to their daughter, Sophie. The family has shared their story to encourage others to learn CPR, noting that prompt bystander intervention significantly improves survival rates.