"I could have died": Horrifying moment man collapsed in workout at PureGym

Danny Albanese opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by strangers. It took a few moments for him to realise he was being carried out of the gym on a stretcher.

The 63-year-old had not long arrived at PureGym in Gorton when he became unwell. He had been doing a mobility workout when he suddenly lost control of his body and collapsed.

The dad-of-one, from Denton, later learned his heart had stopped three times. And if it weren’t for the actions of one quick-thinking staff member, he would most likely be dead.

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“I have always been an active person before the incident,” retired Danny said. “I felt I had a good level of fitness for somebody of my age and attended the gym five to six times a week.

“I’d only been in the gym for about five to ten minutes and was doing some mobility work when I lost all control. I felt myself falling backwards. I don’t remember anything after that.

“When I collapsed, the assistant gym manager acted quickly. He performed CPR and used the defibrillator that was in the gym. My heart stopped three times and he brought me round every time, which I’m so grateful for. They saved my life.”

After spending the night in hospital, doctors told Danny his underlying condition had caused him to go into cardiac arrest. In 2016, he had been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease which sees the heart muscle becomes thickened. The condition can cause heart attacks and strokes.

Following his collapse in December 2019, Danny was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, known as an ICD, which monitors his heart by sending regular downloads to a heart specialist.

Luckily, the device hasn’t been set