She Was Clinically Dead on a Bench, but Strangers Refused to Give Up

October 21, 2026

An Australian woman nearly died during a routine morning run, but the quick actions of strangers who rushed to help gave her a second chance at life.

Kaley was clinically dead

Kaley Koppa, 43, was running along the Brisbane River when she suddenly began feeling unwell. Security footage shows her slowing down, clutching her left arm, and eventually collapsing on a nearby bench.

People nearby quickly noticed something was wrong and rushed to help. One person called emergency services while others began trying to save her life.

“Her face is blue ... She's just saying she's not breathing,” the emergency caller told dispatchers.

Kaley was in cardiac arrest, and every second mattered.

Staff at the nearby Star Casino also spotted the emergency and rushed to help, bringing an automated external defibrillator, commonly known as an AED.

Among them was security worker Trevor Tyrna, who had never used a defibrillator in a real emergency before. But with Kaley's life hanging in the balance, he stepped forward.

Members of the public performed CPR while the casino staff brought the equipment that could help restart her heart. Together, their efforts helped save Kaley's life.

Doctors later said she had clinically died during the incident. According to commonly cited estimates, only around one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, making the rapid response of bystanders especially important.

For Kaley, the strangers who stopped to help made all the difference.

“These are people that I’ve never met in my life, I’m just forever grateful, no words can describe how happy I am that I was given a second chance at life thanks to all of these people collectively,” Kaley said.

She also struggled to believe she had survived such a frightening ordeal.

“What a miracle all of this is, I can’t believe I am still alive.”

Kaley's story is a powerful reminder that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference simply by stepping in when someone needs help.

Trevor had never used a defibrillator in a real emergency. The people who stopped to help Kaley were strangers going about their own lives. But when they saw someone in danger, they acted.

Their quick thinking and willingness to help gave Kaley another chance at life, and now she hopes her story will inspire others to be ready to do the same for someone else.