Man who thought he’d died shares what he saw — ‘I was unbelievably happy’

A man has described the moment he thought he had died. Rhys Edwards, a 35-year-old newlywed and expectant father, suffered a cardiac arrest while on a work trip and was uncertain if he would make it home. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors fitted him with a temporary pacemaker but it dislodged causing his heart to stop.

“The machine was accidentally disconnected and my heart stopped immediately. I honestly thought I’d died,” said Rhys, from Penarth in south Wales, who recalled experiencing a profound sense of peace despite the life-threatening situation he faced.

“I fell unconscious and remember feeling a sense of warmth and euphoria,” he told WalesOnline.

“I was unbelievably happy, sitting with my son and talking to my dad who passed away years ago,” he recalled. Then I woke up to doctors shaking me. That was the moment I realised how close I’d come.”

Later that day, he was fitted with a temporary pacemaker, positioned externally but connected to his chest, minimising the risk of another accidental disconnection.

It was a dramatic change in circumstances for the young man. When he had boarded the flight to New York for the business trip, life couldn’t have been better. Just a fortnight earlier, he had wed his wife, Georgia, in a stunning ceremony surrounded by loved ones.

“It was the happiest time of my life,” Rhys said. “We had our little boy Archie there and we’d just found out Georgia was expecting our daughter Wynny. Everything felt perfect.”

But within days, everything changed. Rhys began experiencing flu-like symptoms.

“Georgia told me not to go but I thought I could push through,” he said.

By the time his flight touched down in New York, his condition had deteriorated significantly: “My body was sore, walking was hard, and then I noticed a strange rash across my chest. I thought it was just a nasty virus.”

Following a call to his boss, Rhys made his way to hospital: “I wasn’t worried – I thought they’d give me some meds and send me home. But when they scanned me my temperature was 39 degrees and things spiralled from there.”

Medical staff discovered his heart was under severe strain and he was moved to a cardiac critical care unit: “I remember watching my heart rate drop from the 60s to 35 beats per minute. That’s when it hit me – something was seriously wrong.”

At 5am Rhys underwent an emergency procedure to fit a temporary transvenous pacemaker, which is a line inserted down the right jugular vein directly into the heart.

The impact was instantaneous and he was stabilised at a rate of 80 beats per minute, though he became completely reliant on this pacemaker which required replacement when it malfunctioned.

Once he was stabilised and fitted with the permanent pacemaker, additional tests uncovered the cause of his cardiac arrest – a rare strain of Coxsackie virus, which is linked to hand, foot and mouth disease.

“It was surreal. One day I was healthy, the next I was fighting for my life because of a virus I’d never heard of,” he said. 

After nearly a fortnight in hospital, Rhys was discharged but had to remain in a hotel for an additional week before flying back home to embark on the lengthy and painful recovery journey.

“The physical side was tough but the mental side was brutal,” he admitted. “I had panic attacks, constant anxiety, and I didn’t even have the strength to pick up my son. That broke me.”

Almost four years since his near-death experience in 2022, Rhys has had his pacemaker removed, is now monitored via an implantable loop recorder, and is gradually rebuilding his life.

“I’m not the same person I was before,” he said. “I still get flutters and worry about pushing myself too hard. But I focus on gratitude – watching my kids play, enjoying the little things.”

Rhys, who is employed by a global aircraft leasing company, attributes the British Heart Foundation for providing crucial support: “Their nurse helpline was a lifeline for me. And Georgia even ran Cardiff Half Marathon for them in 2024. I want people to know there is life after a heart scare, but recovery takes time. Don’t rush it. Seek help – especially for your mental health.

“If you’re feeling unwell for too long see a doctor. Don’t assume it’s just a bug. If I hadn’t spoken to my boss that day I would have died on the plane home. If you’ve been through a health scare like this I’d say take it one day at a time and just be thankful you’re here.”

Rhys is among several people sharing their experiences as part of a campaign by British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cymru. In celebration of 65 years of BHF funding vital research, the charity is revealing 65 red benches across the UK in honour of those living with cardiovascular disease.

A red bench has been unveiled in Alexandra Park, Penarth, to acknowledge Rhys’ journey.