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Mother and daughters save man’s life at the gym

Carlos Ruiz was running on the treadmill at the Anytime Fitness gym in Wake Forest, North Carolina, early one Sunday morning last month when he suffered a heart attack.

Ruiz, 57, flew off his treadmill and landed on his head.

He was alone in the gym at the time.

(The gym is not staffed on Sundays. Members have keys that give them access to the 24-hour gym.)

Fortunately for Ruiz, Merrie Gough, a registered nurse, and her daughters Danielle, a dental school student, and Elizabeth, a nursing student, had just arrived at the gym.

"He was very lucky," said gym manager Anna Yeager. "He very easily could have been there and no one would have seen him."

The three women didn't hesitate to help Ruiz.

"He was unresponsive, wasn't breathing and had no pulse," Merrie Gough told local ABC affiliate WTVD. "We opened the airway and started basic life support for him."

Merrie performed CPR while one of her daughters called 911. Ruiz was transported to a local hospital and survived the terrifying ordeal.

"If she hadn't of started to work on me immediately, I probably wouldn't have made it," Ruiz acknowledged.

Ruiz reunited with the Goughs this week to thank them for their life-saving intervention.

"I give thanks to my Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ, for putting this family in that position to be able to save me," Ruiz, told WTVD. "Because if not, I really shouldn't and wouldn't have been here today."

"Today, I have an opportunity, a second chance, to move on with my life and make a difference," he added. "I am very lucky to be alive."