Healthcare specialist hires locksmith, ends up saving his life after heart attack
What began as a routine house call by a locksmith turned into a life-or-death situation when he suffered a sudden heart attack in the apartment of his client — who just happened to be a healthcare specialist.
Francis Leonard, a 30-year-old respiratory therapist who works in the intensive care unit (ICU), performed CPR on the man before emergency personnel arrived. Such therapists specialise in treating patients with lung and breathing-related issues.
The Singapore-based Filipino's Nov 28 TikTok post about the incident, captioned "A locksmith had a cardiac arrest while unlocking my door in my apartment," has since garnered over 118,600 views, 4,591 reactions and 195 comments as of press time.
20-minute rescue ordeal
The incident, which took around 20 minutes, occurred on Dec 2 at about 6.15pm.
Mr Leonard told Stomp that he had hired the locksmith to unlock one of the doors in his apartment at People's Park Complex as his shop was conveniently located downstairs.
While he was at work, the locksmith, who appeared to be middle-aged and "never looked unwell", suddenly "sat down and collapsed".
"I thought he was simply taking a rest, but when he had stopped moving and breathing and (had) no pulse, I recognised it as a cardiac arrest," recalled Mr Leonard, who has been a respiratory specialist for almost seven years.
While he felt "stressed and panicked", he pulled himself together and called an ambulance before starting CPR. "This stranger's life was under my care."
On Dec 2, Mr Leonard posted a minute-long clip about the incident, recalling how he initially thought it was a stroke and struggled to get help, even dialing the wrong number instead of 995.
"My door was still locked, I had appointments that evening that I had to cancel because of the incident. But I had to put my feelings aside in that moment."
He added that the locksmith remained in the ICU for a few days and was later admitted to the ward where Mr Leonard worked.
When he visited the locksmith on the night of Dec 1, "he had been removed from the breathing tube, his brain function was intact, and he was awake and responsive," said Mr Leonard.
"I felt so relieved and grateful for saving a life," he added.
'He collapsed at the right time n place': Netizen
Most netizens praised Mr Leonard. "20 minutes is crazy… bravo dude," one wrote.
"It's more than saving his life. You are giving his family more time to spend with him, which is priceless," another user commented.
Meanwhile, other users highlighted how common cardiac arrests are, noting that it is a "silent killer", with some giving tips on performing CPR
However, lingering questions also arose among netizens, with one asking: "Did you manage to get your locked door open?"
Another user said in jest: "Your door too tough to unlock, he kena arrest halfway."
