'They ended up saving a life': Heart attack survivor thanks Durham staff for saving his life

A man who has recovered after suffering a heart attack had the chance to thank the people who saved his life.

Steve Martin’s heart stopped beating on March 8 while playing pickleball inside the Senior Recreation Center at Campus Hills.

On Friday, Martin and his wife thanked the Durham Parks and Recreation staff who helped resuscitate him.

“I wanted to meet them and give them a hug and say, ‘thank you,’” Martin said.

Parks and recreation workers started CPR, they used an AED and called 911. For eight to 10 minutes, Martin was unresponsive as staff kept working.

The parks and recreation workers are trained in assisting in a sudden health crisis.

“It was a normal day and they ended up saving a life,” Martin said.

Martin said his partner was about to serve while they were playing doubles.

“I said, ‘Give me just a second because I’m a little dizzy,’” Martin said. “I sat down on the court and that is the last thing I remembered.”

Martin said if not for the training of the Durham staff, he could have died. He said he came to when the ambulance pulled into the bay of the emergency room. He was in the hospital for a week.

The Martin family thanked the staff at a recent Durham City Council meeting. Martin’s wife thanked the group along with his son through a letter.

“You are the reason that my father is still alive today,” the letter reads in part.

Martin explained how he picked up pickleball from his wife.

“My wife picked it up first,” Martin said. “She’s been retired longer than I have, so she picked it up and she just kept talking about it, so I started to go play.”

Martin said he plays pickleball three times a week and does yoga twice a week.

“I have always been active and my personal goals, they say you should take 10,000 steps a day, and I don’t have any trouble doing that,” he said.

Martin said he plans to play pickleball again as soon as he is cleared by doctors.