Life saved in Upper Austria

“Bystanders didn’t want me to turn him over”

Reunited (from left to right): paramedics Eckhart Herbe, Tobias Fleischandler and Marlene Kröpfl, patient Stefan Hirschhofer, first aider Margarita Schöfl, paramedic-sani Egon Leitner and emergency doctor Roland Stöger.(Bild: OÖRK_StephanHerbe)

Retired nurse Margarita Schöfl and long-time paramedic Eckhart Herbe were in the right place at the right time. Stefan Hirschhofer (34) had collapsed out of the blue while jogging. It was only thanks to the rapid intervention of the first aiders that the man survived and is now healthy again.

It was an almost unbelievable chain of coincidences that occurred on February 18 last year on the Danube dam cycle path near St. Georgen an der Gusen and saved the life of Stefan Hirschhofer (34) from Luftenberg.

Group stood around the fallen
"It was a wonderful Sunday. My husband and I actually wanted to cycle to Linz, but spontaneously went in the other direction," says Margarita Schöfl. "We had only been on the road for a short time when I saw a group of people standing around a jogger lying on the ground."

Only one stepped forward
The 34-year-old, who had previously been in good health and athletic, had collapsed out of the blue while running. "A young man was already on the phone and asked who dared to resuscitate him," says the 65-year-old. While everyone remained silent, the retired nurse immediately went into action and bent down to the unconscious man.

Passers-by were worried
"When I turned him onto his back, some bystanders tried to stop me. They were worried about vertebral injuries or wanted to put him in the recovery position," says Schöfl, who was undeterred and resuscitated Stefan Hirschhofer until the ambulance arrived.

"He'll be fine"
A former colleague of the nurse and long-time paramedic, Eckhart Herbe (56), also happened to be passing by and gave her a hand. "After the electric shock from his colleagues' defibrillator, Stefan was breathing on his own again. His heart continued to beat. That's when I knew he was going to be okay!"

No chance without help
And the courageous helper was proved right - Stefan is now completely healthy again. "Margarita acted correctly and courageously when others were just standing around and bridged the most important minutes," says paramedic Herbe, praising the retired nurse. "He wouldn't have survived without her!"