‘A Race Against Death’: How Quick Thinking and an AED Saved a 23-Year-Old Basketball Player in Hangzhou

By Daniel Richardson, Editor-in-Chief

HANGZHOU, China — On the evening of April 24, 2026, a routine pickup basketball game at the Ship Lock Sports Court in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District became a life-or-death emergency. A 23-year-old man, identified only as a recent university graduate, collapsed mid-game after suffering sudden cardiac arrest. What happened next—a 12-minute rescue effort involving bystanders, an automated external defibrillator (AED), and emergency responders—offers a powerful lesson in how seconds can mean the difference between tragedy and survival.

The Collapse

Meng Jianwei, a 32-year-old local resident playing in the same game, was the first to notice something was wrong. “I turned around and saw him face-down on the court,” Meng told reporters. “He wasn’t moving, and his mouth was bleeding from the fall. I knew immediately this wasn’t just exhaustion.”

Meng, who holds a Red Cross first-aid certification, sprang into action. Within seconds, he made three critical decisions: call emergency services (120), send a teammate to retrieve the court’s AED, and begin chest compressions. “There was no time to panic,” he said. “I’d trained for this.”

The Rescue Chain

The AED—a portable device that delivers an electric shock to restart the heart—was located just steps from the court, part of Hangzhou’s expanding public-access defibrillator network. Chang Longwei, a 28-year-old employee of the Binjiang Environmental Development Company, retrieved the device and rushed back to the scene.

“I’d heard the shouts and saw the crowd gathering,” Chang said. “I grabbed the AED and ran. We’d had training at operate, so I knew how to use it.” Under remote guidance from the 120 emergency dispatcher, the group applied the device’s electrode pads to the patient’s chest. The AED analyzed the heart rhythm and delivered a shock, causing the young man’s body to jolt. Chest compressions resumed immediately.

By the time paramedics arrived, the patient had regained a pulse. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed his condition had stabilized. As of April 26, he remained in recovery, with no further updates on his prognosis.

Why This Matters for Athletes

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death among young athletes worldwide, with basketball players at particularly high risk due to the sport’s intensity and stop-start nature. A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that SCA occurs in approximately 1 in 50,000 high school and college basketball players annually—a rate higher than in many other sports.

Hangzhou’s response to this incident highlights two critical factors in improving survival rates:

• Public-access AEDs: The city has installed nearly 10,000 AEDs in public spaces since 2020, including sports facilities, subway stations, and shopping centers. A mobile app, “Hangzhou AED Online,” helps users locate the nearest device. According to city officials, the survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Hangzhou has risen from 1.2% in 2019 to 12.8% in 2025, thanks in part to wider AED availability.
• Bystander training: Meng and Chang’s actions reflect the impact of Hangzhou’s push to train citizens in CPR and AED use. Since 2022, the city has offered free monthly workshops, with over 50,000 residents certified to date. “Most people suppose they’ll never necessitate to use this knowledge,” Meng said. “But when it happens, you’re either ready or you’re not.”

A City’s Innovation in Emergency Response

Hangzhou has emerged as a leader in integrating technology into emergency medical services. In April 2026, the city launched its first “air ambulance” program, using drones to deliver AEDs to cardiac arrest scenes in under two minutes. The system, piloted in Jiande District, relies on a network of rooftop “sky rescue stations” that dispatch drones automatically when 120 dispatchers receive a call.

“For every minute without defibrillation, survival rates drop by 7–10%,” said a spokesperson for the Hangzhou Emergency Medical Center. “With drones, we can cut response times in half in areas where traffic or distance would otherwise delay help.”

The city has also deployed autonomous vehicles to transport medical samples between rural clinics and hospitals, reducing turnaround times for critical tests. While these innovations are still in early stages, they underscore Hangzhou’s commitment to closing gaps in emergency care.

What Athletes and Coaches Can Learn

The April 24 incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks inherent in competitive sports—and the steps athletes, coaches, and facility managers can take to mitigate them:

1. Know the signs: Cardiac arrest often presents without warning, but symptoms like sudden dizziness, chest pain, or shortness of breath during exertion should never be ignored. The American Heart Association recommends that athletes undergo pre-participation screenings, including electrocardiograms (ECGs), to detect underlying conditions.
2. Locate AEDs before you need them: Meng’s habit of scouting AED locations at public courts likely saved his teammate’s life. “I check for AEDs the same way I check for exits in a building,” he said. “It’s just part of being prepared.”
3. Train your team: CPR and AED certification courses are widely available and often free. The Red Cross offers online and in-person training in multiple languages. “You don’t need to be a medical professional to build a difference,” Chang said. “You just need to act.”
4. Advocate for AEDs in your community: In the U.S., only 5% of cardiac arrests occur in locations with AEDs. In China, that figure is even lower outside major cities. Athletes and coaches can push for AED installations at local gyms, schools, and sports complexes by partnering with organizations like the American Heart Association or Red Cross China.

The Road Ahead

For the 23-year-old survivor, the focus now shifts to recovery and understanding what triggered his cardiac arrest. While the exact cause remains unclear, common culprits include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a thickening of the heart muscle), congenital heart defects, or electrolyte imbalances. Genetic testing and follow-up care will be critical in preventing future episodes.

As for Hangzhou’s emergency response systems, the city plans to expand its drone network to cover all urban districts by 2027. Officials are also exploring partnerships with ride-hailing apps to dispatch trained bystanders to cardiac arrest scenes before ambulances arrive—a model already in use in cities like Seattle and Copenhagen.

Key Takeaways

• Seconds save lives: The average ambulance response time in Hangzhou is 12 minutes, but brain damage can begin within 4–6 minutes of cardiac arrest. Bystander intervention is often the difference between life and death.
• AEDs are underused: Studies show that AEDs are used in less than 5% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, despite their proven effectiveness. Increasing public awareness and accessibility is critical.
• Training works: Hands-only CPR (chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth) can double or triple survival rates. Certification courses take as little as 30 minutes.
• Technology is accelerating: Drones, AI dispatch systems, and autonomous vehicles are transforming emergency response, with Hangzhou at the forefront of these innovations.

What’s Next

The Hangzhou Emergency Medical Center will release a full report on the April 24 incident in the coming weeks, including details on the patient’s condition and the long-term impact of the rescue efforts. In the meantime, the city’s health department is urging all sports facilities to conduct AED location audits and host CPR training sessions for staff and patrons.

For athletes and coaches, the message is clear: preparation isn’t just about performance—it’s about survival. As Meng Jianwei put it, “The next time you step onto a court or field, take a second to look around. You never know when you’ll need to save a life—or when someone will save yours.”

Have you or someone you know experienced a medical emergency during sports? Share your story in the comments or tag us on social media with #SportsSafety.