Man survives after heart stops beating for 40 minutes following lightning strike

Kim Gwan-haeng, right, a teacher who was struck by lightning last month, greets professor Cho Yong-su of the Emergency Medicine Department at Chonnam National University Hospital upon his discharge on Sept. 2 after recovering his health. Courtesy of Chonnam National University Hospital

By KTimes

A teacher, 29, was struck by lightning while walking in the southwestern city of Gwangju, causing his heart to stop for 40 minutes, but miraculously, he survived.

According to Chonnam National University Hospital on Friday, Kim Gwan-haeng, a high school teacher in Gwangju, collapsed suddenly on Aug. 5 while walking to lunch after attending a training session at Chosun University.

At the time, the weather in Gwangju and the Jeolla regions was severe, with about 3,000 lightning strikes observed. It is presumed that Kim was struck while walking near a tree.

A passerby who discovered Kim collapsed on the floor called the emergency services, and he was subsequently taken to Chonnam National University Hospital.

However, by then, his heart had already stopped for approximately 40 minutes. Typically, if the heart stops beating for more than five minutes, the lack of blood and oxygen supply to the body significantly increases the risk of brain damage.

Medical staff who first saw Kim at the hospital said, “Because his heart and lungs were in a very poor condition due to the prolonged cardiac arrest, we honestly thought there was almost no chance of survival.”

Immediately after admission, Kim was placed in the intensive care unit, where he received intensive treatment using ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) for his heart and lungs. Thanks to the efforts of the medical staff, Kim regained consciousness and got through the critical phase.

After 10 days in the hospital, he was able to breathe on his own without the need for a ventilator. Although Kim suffered from complications like difficulties when eating, muscle weakness and heel skin damage due to the prolonged hospital stay, there were no major health issues.

Kim was discharged on Sept. 2 and thanked the hospital staff who saved his life. Two days later, he donated 10 million won ($8,500) to support the medical staff.

Kim said, “I was given a second chance at life,” and added, “In an unpredictable world, I will strive to live each day without regrets.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.