Nurse performs CPR on unconscious passenger, hands him over to paramedics

'He was someone's neighbor and family — I just had to save him'

Seo Hye-won, a nurse on the outpatient nursing team at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. [Provided by Seoul St. Mary's Hospital]
Seo Hye-won, a nurse on the outpatient nursing team at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. [Provided by Seoul St. Mary's Hospital]

A man in his 60s who lost consciousness on a Seoul subway was revived after a nurse riding the same train quickly administered emergency care.

Seoul St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea announced Thursday that Seo Hye-won, a nurse on its outpatient nursing team, performed CPR on a male passenger in his 60s who collapsed on Seoul Metro Line 7 at around 6 p.m. Wednesday, restoring his consciousness before handing him over to paramedics.

Seo had boarded the train at Express Bus Terminal Station, near her workplace, and was heading home when the incident occurred. As the train passed near Gunja Station, a passenger suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed, prompting nearby riders to attempt emergency assistance.

Seo pushed through the crowd to reach the man and found him unconscious and experiencing full-body seizures. She immediately asked a bystander to call 119, then turned the patient's head to the side to secure his airway.

The seizures eventually subsided, but the man's pulse grew progressively weaker and his breathing became irregular — a pattern consistent with cardiac arrest. Seo began CPR without delay.

When the train pulled into Junggok Station, passengers helped move the man onto the platform, where Seo continued treatment. He regained consciousness around the time paramedics arrived and was later transferred to a nearby medical facility.

A 15-year veteran at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Seo spent years caring for critically ill patients in the hematology ward. Even after transferring to the outpatient nursing team, she had previously performed CPR on emergency patients within the hospital, saving lives on those occasions as well.

"I kept thinking that the man who collapsed must be someone's neighbor and family, and that I had to save him no matter what," Seo said. "The CPR training the hospital conducts every year was a great help in that critical moment."

She also offered practical advice for bystanders in emergencies. "The most important thing is calling 119, but in the chaos of the moment, people often fail to do it properly," she said. "It helps to single out a specific person and ask them directly to make the call."

Seo's act came to light after Oh Hye-seong, a Seoul Metro employee who was at the scene, reported it to the hospital. Seo returned to work the following day as usual.

"Even in that sudden, desperate situation, the nurse calmly assessed the patient's condition and carried out each necessary step one by one," Oh said. "I hope that by sharing this story, more people will find the courage to act in emergencies."

Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Director Lee Ji-yeol praised Seo's response. "Nurse Seo Hye-won's swift action without a moment's hesitation reflects the professionalism and sense of duty she has built up over years," he said. "We will continue to provide ongoing education and support so that our staff can step forward with confidence to protect lives, wherever they may be."

Meanwhile, a survey on acute cardiac arrest released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in June found that the survival rate among patients who received CPR from bystanders was 15.3 percent — 2.7 times higher than the 5.6 percent rate for those who did not. The rate of bystander CPR stood at 32.9 percent, up 2.7 percentage points from the same period the previous year.


woo@heraldcorp.com