Strangers Saved His Life—Now a Maine Family Is Teaching Others to Do the Same

By Jennifer Costa, Red Cross communications director

Peter Morrison

“I’m a pretty healthy 52-year-old. I was just out on a bike ride on a hot day in the end of July.”

Peter Morrison is a physician, a father of three and an active cyclist from Portland, Maine. Monday evenings were reserved for his long group rides. But on this particular day, he just felt off.

“I wasn’t feeling well so I decided to turn around and head home. Right as I was going around Payson Park, my heart stopped and I collapsed,” Peter said.

Peter’s wife, Alison Gorman, who is also a doctor was working the late shift at the neighborhood community health center. The phone rang. It was a curious call from the couple’s daughters. The girls were just coming home from the beach and found a throng of cyclists waiting.

“The girls called me and said, ‘Why are there cyclists in our driveway?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. Maybe they are meeting up with dad,’” Alison offered. “Well, amongst the cyclist community, everyone knows everyone’s bike. So, they saw the bike down in Payson Park and they knew something had happened to Peter, but they didn’t know what it was.”

Unbeknownst to his family and friends, Peter had suffered a heart attack.

“Ninety percent of the time, that’s the end of the story. People die from cardiac arrest,” said Peter. “But I was lucky. There were strangers there who saw me and immediately started to do CPR.”

Three strangers whom he’d never met: a fellow cyclist who saw Peter go down, a runner who came upon the scene and an off-duty firefighter at the park for bag pipe practice. Together the trio sustained Peter’s life using hands-only CPR – a simplified lifesaving technique that focuses on chest compressions without rescue breaths. Their actions kept him alive until the ambulance arrived. EMTs were able to shock Peter’s heart and get him to the hospital.

Alison Gorman

“If it wasn’t for CPR, if it wasn’t for strangers seeing me go down, jumping in and not being afraid to do this, then I wouldn’t have survived. So, it’s kind of inspired my family to take this on as a cause,” Peter said.

Upon meeting the strangers who helped save Peter’s life, the motto of one stuck with Alison.

“When there’s need, you just run in and help. Don’t think someone else is going to do it. It’s you. And that can be the difference of life and death,” she said.

Inspired by the Good Samaritans’ actions, Alison decided to become a Red Cross volunteer and train, alongside her daughters, to teach hands-only CPR throughout their community.

“My husband is now back to the same person, which is truly miraculous,” she said. “And so I want to empower people. The health of each individual is really dependent on the training, confidence and willingness of everyone around us to act.”

Hands-Only CPR can be done in eight easy steps.

1. Have someone call 9-1-1 and get an AED.
2. Ensure the person is on their back on a firm, flat surface.
3. Kneel beside the person with your knees shoulder-width apart near the person’s body.
4. Place the heel of one hand in the center of their chest, with your other hand on top interlacing your fingers.
5. Position your body so that your shoulders are directly over your hands, locking your elbows and keeping your arms straight.
6. Give continuous compressions, pushing hard and fast (2 inches apart; 100-120 compressions per minute).
7. Allow the chest to return to its normal position after each compression.
8. Use and AED as soon as it is available.

Kate Morrison

Seventy percent of all cardiac arrests happen in the home, so the life you may save could be a family member or friend. 

“My dad has always been pretty athletic. I never expected him to have a heart attack or suffer cardiac arrest. It made me realize it could happen to anyone, and it could happen anywhere,” said Peter’s daughter, Kate Morrison. “It really scared me because if he had collapsed at home, I wouldn’t have been able to save him because I didn’t know CPR. So, I think it’s really important for everyone to learn CPR.” 

The 16-year-old has made it her mission, leading hands-only CPR trainings, at not only Portland High where she’s a rising senior, but other high schools throughout the city. 

“Coming from a kid, you usually don’t think you are the one who is going to have to act, but it could be you,” Kate said. “Ultimately I hope every graduate from Portland High School knows CPR – and then hopefully every graduate from Portland Public Schools knows CPR.”

To learn more about Red Cross CPR certification or Hands-Only CPR training, visit: https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class.