07/07/2025
In January 2011, Howard Snitzer, a 54-year-old man from Goodhue, Minnesota, collapsed from a massive heart attack outside a local grocery store. In a truly remarkable act of community effort, more than 20 strangersโincluding bystanders, local mechanics, volunteer firefighters, and paramedicsโquickly came together and took turns performing CPR on him for nearly 96 minutes, which is over an hour and a half.
These individuals worked in rotation, ensuring that continuous chest compressions were delivered without pause, maintaining critical blood flow to Howardโs brain and organs. Their efforts were guided remotely by experts from the Mayo Clinic, who were providing assistance via helicopter. Defibrillation was also administered as part of the response.
This intense and tireless teamwork kept Howard alive long enough for more advanced medical intervention to arrive. Miraculously, Howard was revived and recovered with no neurological damage. He survived not just the heart attack, but also one of the longest out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitations ever recorded successfully.
The story of Howard Snitzer is a powerful example of how quick thinking, teamwork, and community spirit can truly make the difference between life and loss. It proves that even in emergencies, strangers can unite for a life-saving cause, and succeed.