Ocala man searching for rescuers who saved his life

George Schnurr suffered a heart attack while driving his car

OCALA, Fla. – An Ocala man is searching for the rescuers who saved his life after he suffered a heart attack while driving his van last week.

"I don't remember anything. I don't remember anything," George Schnurr said.

The only thing Schnurr remembers is waking up in the hospital days after his heart attack.

The father of two was driving his van near SW 60th Avenue and SW 38th Street in Ocala last Friday when all of a sudden his fiancée said he started feeling ill.

"He said, 'I'm having chest pains. I feel like something has been choking me and my neck. I feel like I can't breathe,'" she told the 911 dispatcher.

Schnurr passed out. His van stopped in the middle of the intersection.

He told News 6 he would have died right there if it weren't for complete strangers stopping in the middle of the road who jumped out of their car to help him.

"This guy is not responsive. He passed out. We can't find a pulse or nothing," one of the rescuers told 911 dispatchers.

"People got out of their car and pulled me out. Gave my CPR, compressions, and breaths until an ambulance came," he said.

Passersby shared pictures to thousands of people on social media. One woman is seen in a photo on her knees praying for Schnurr. He said those prayers were just some of the many people who were hoping he would survive.

"I've never felt so lucky. I definitely escaped death just from people being good people," he said.

Days later, Schnurr posted a picture on Facebook from inside the hospital. He said everyone's prayers and well wishes helped him get better.

"People who didn't even know me helping me, it's just amazing. There's some actually good people in the world," Schnurr said.

Now he wants to get results. He's trying to find and met the people who stopped that day, so he can thank them for giving him a second chance at life.

"I'd love to meet them. I would love to meet them. They're the reason I'm alive," he said. "None of them knew me. I didn't know any of them and they saved my life."


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