Coordinated rescue restores tourist’s vital functions after 79 minutes of CPR

A sustained rescue effort on the Greek island of Zakynthos restored the vital functions of a 26-year-old Portuguese visitor after approximately 79 minutes of CPR.

The man was pulled unconscious from the sea near Korithi on 21 August. Bathers and the captain of a private tour boat helped bring him out of the water, then carried him by boat to the port of Agios Nikolaos Volimon, accompanied by a local coastguard officer.

At the harbor, a private doctor who was present began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. When a Zakynthos emergency medical crew arrived, its responders continued with advanced CPR and administered medication. Their combined efforts continued for about 79 minutes before the man’s vital functions returned.

He was taken immediately to Zakynthos General Hospital, where he was intubated and admitted to intensive care. At the time of reporting, his condition remained critical but stable, and his longer-term recovery was not yet known.

The operation unfolded far from the island’s main town and depended on a continuous chain of assistance, from the people who spotted the emergency and brought the man ashore to the doctor and professional responders who maintained the prolonged resuscitation attempt.