Send this page to someone via email

A Nanaimo man says he survived a heart attack because he was in the right place at the right time.

Earl Morris was attending a first-aid class with St. John Ambulance in Duncan when he blacked out.

“We had just finished chest compression training,” Morris said. “We were taking a break, sat in a chair, I dropped my exercise book and that’s the last thing I remember on that day until I woke up in the hospital.”

WATCH: Teammates save the life of Vancouver hockey player who suffers heart attack

1:51 Teammates save the life of Vancouver hockey player who suffers heart attack Teammates save the life of Vancouver hockey player who suffers heart attack

Morris went into cardiac arrest. Fortunately, he was receiving CPR training from first responders and the building had an automated external defibrillator and oxygen.

Story continues below advertisement

“They had to shock me to bring me back to life,” he said.

Morris now has a pacemaker to deal with any future problems.

“We wouldn’t be here talking if I wasn’t at the course and had the experience of the people around me that I did. I mean, they saved my life.”

“I’m extremely fortunate to be here.”

Morris encourages everyone to take a first-aid course because someday you may “find someone who needs help and you’ll be trained well enough to help them.”