Heart Attack Survivor Thanks OKC First Responders Who Saved His Life

Doctors told Mark Williams his heart had completely stopped when he arrived at the hospital in the middle of the night earlier in June. 

"I remember someone calling my name while I was still in bed and I just opened my eyes, and I believe there’s a fireman standing over me," Mark said. "The next thing I remember is hearing the sirens and they have the defibrillator going."

"I remember telling the 911 operator that I think he died, and he just laid there lifeless," Mark's wife Connie said. 

When he arrived at south Oklahoma Heart Hospital, they discovered his heart had a 100% blockage. He was having a heart attack. Doctors later said only around 4% of people survive a complete blockage that stops the heart.

"I just think God had a hand in it for whatever purpose. I don’t know why," Mark said. "I made it and some don’t and I’m just among the fortunate."

Mark who is 71-years-old said he credits his survival to God and the first responders sent to his door.

"I was thinking, they do the stuff day in and day out and I wonder how many people just really stop and say thank you, thank you for what you did," Mark said.

He wrote thank you notes to the Oklahoma City firefighters, EMSA paramedics and doctors who helped bring him back to life.

Thursday, he was able to the tell them thank you in person.

"It was just very comforting knowing that they were there and that they would know what to do," Connie said." They were just there calm cool calm and collected." 

"We never know when our time is going to be there’s no guarantee of life beyond really the moment," Mark said. "I’m feeling a whole lot better and looking forward to doing a whole lot more things."