Footballer dead for 15 minutes as heart stops on pitch with ‘reason still unknown’

The 27-year-old thought he was completely healthy before a terrifying incident that saw him collapse on a pitch, with paramedics rushing to his aid

A footballer who thought he was completely healthy survived more than 15 minutes without a heartbeat after collapsing on the pitch.

Samuli Kukkonen, who coaches for Finnish second tier side Jarvenpaan Palloseura, was warming up before a match when, without warning, he suddenly fell to the ground with a heart issue.

The 27-year-old said: “After a few minutes, my team-mates realised I was not moving. So they gave me CPR and called an ambulance.” More than 15 minutes passed before his heartbeat returned.

Kukkonen said: “I got CPR from my team-mates, and when the paramedics arrived, they used a defibrillator. After the second shock, my heart started working again.”

All Kukkonen remembers about the ordeal is waking up in a hospital in Helsinki, Finland, surrounded by loved ones.

He told NeedToKnow: “They kept me there for two weeks to run tests and make sure I was fine.

“They put a pacemaker in me to help my heart, gave me medicine, and sent me home after the tests.”

The terrifying incident happened back in May while Kukkonen was warming up with Jarvenpaan Palloseura, known as JaPS, ahead of a lower-division match in Jarvenpaa.

Kukkonen describes his three-month recovery as “good for me”. He said: “I had a lot of time to reflect on what happened, and I had great support from my family and friends to help me get back to life.

“My girlfriend and I have four dogs who helped me get back on my feet and into sports.”

Kukkonen began playing football at four and started coaching at 13. Since turning 18, he has focused more on coaching but still plays, “more as a hobby to keep myself fit and socialise with friends”.

He considers himself fit and healthy and had never experienced any issues before the sudden cardiac arrest.

“The reason is still unknown,” he said. “What we know is that it has nothing to do with my lifestyle or choices. It is not a normal gene mutation, but it might be a rare mutation.”

Cardiologist Tapio Aalto explained how he survived more than 15 minutes without a heartbeat.

He told local media: “With effective chest-compression and rescue-breathing resuscitation, it’s possible to maintain blood circulation enough to allow time for further measures.

“In this case, the shock from a defibrillator.”