Belgian man searching for bystanders who saved his life at Brussels station

Olivier Gebka of Dinant is looking for the people who saved his life last week at Brussels-Luxembourg train station. Gebka collapsed inside the station last Wednesday afternoon.

The 35-year-old suffered a heart attack, the result of a condition he’s had since birth that affects one of his heart valves. “I was told that it wouldn’t necessary cause me any trouble,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “Doctors said that surgery would only be necessary if the cardiologist decided it would be at some point. It seems that in very rare cases, however, cardiac arrest can occur. So now they’re installing a defibrillator.”

It could have been a very different story had bystanders not been quick to react when Gebka hit the ground. “They saved his life by resuscitating him,” his partner, Claire, told the paper.

Gebka has arrived at the station at about 12.15 and suddenly felt unwell. “The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital with a bunch of doctors around me. Everything in-between is just a black hole.”

Gebka was revived on 20 October between 12.15 and 12.45. He is asking those who were involved to get in touch with him by contacting CHU Brugmann. “I would really like to find them and thank them,” he said. “Without them, I would have died. I will always be grateful for what they did.”