A Bristol triathlete whose heart stopped beating for a quarter of an hour has revealed how a combination of quick-thinking friends, a dedicated volunteer, and a simple phone app brought him back from the brink.
A Routine Ride Turns to Crisis
In November 2024, 63-year-old business owner and avid sportsman Mark Moran set off on a cycling trip with friends Steve Makin and Dave Lane. The group was travelling from Cirencester to a pub in Frampton Cotterell, South Gloucestershire. Just minutes from their destination, Mark suddenly collapsed.
"I start to feel dizzy like I’m passing out," Mark recalled. "And then there was just nothing. No energy, no muscle, no nothing. The last thing to go through my head was: ‘This is it.’"
The Chain of Survival in Action
As soon as Mark hit the ground, friend Steve Makin sprang into action. Remembering the British Heart Foundation's ‘Stayin’ Alive’ campaign featuring footballer Vinnie Jones, Steve began performing CPR to the rhythm of the Bee Gees song. He continued for almost ten minutes, with such determination that he broke three of Mark's ribs.
While Dave cycled to find help, Steve also dialled 999. Crucially, he had the what3words app on his phone. The app divides the world into 3-metre squares, each with a unique three-word address, allowing emergency services to pinpoint exact locations.
This detail brought volunteer first responder Pete Bishop to the scene in just nine minutes. Pete, from the South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust, was at home when the call came in. He found Mark with blue lips and administered two lifesaving shocks with a defibrillator.
A Miraculous Recovery and a New Mission
Mark was flown by air ambulance to the Bristol Heart Institute. He later awoke fitted with an internal defibrillator, despite having no prior heart condition. After three weeks in hospital, he was discharged with a clean bill of health.
Pete Bishop later revealed Mark was the first survivor out of twenty similar cases he had attended, making the recovery extraordinary. Fewer than 10% of people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Six months later, Mark ran the Bristol Half Marathon to raise money for the air ambulance team. In July 2025, he and his friends finally completed their journey to the Frampton Cotterell pub for that long-awaited plate of chips.
Mark now credits a series of miracles for his survival: Steve's immediate CPR, Pete's rapid response, and the what3words app. "If he’d been ten minutes, I might not be here," Mark said of Pete.
He is now a passionate advocate for CPR training, noting that with three-quarters of cardiac arrests happening at home, the first responder is often a family member. Early CPR and defibrillation can more than double survival chances, yet NHS Charities Together data shows fewer than three in ten people feel confident to help in an emergency.
Reflecting on his 15-minute ordeal, Mark stated: "It’s pretty terminal. So I feel like the luckiest guy on the planet. Had it not been for my mates and Pete Bishop, I wouldn’t be here today."
