Giant Pothole Saves Man's Life: Tell Me Something Good

We've all probably at one time or another have complained about potholes popping up unexpectedly causing damage to our vehicles, but one man may have a pothole to thank for saving his life.

WOWT-TV recently aired a story about paramedics rushing to help a 59-year-old man who was at work and experiencing a racing heart but had no history of heart problems.

Paramedics had a 20-minute drive to the emergency room and said that at one point during the ride the patient's heart was beating at a rate of 200 beats per minute.

Midway through the trip the ambulance unexpectedly hit a pothole jarring the vehicle and occupants.

Medics on-board radioed the hospital, that the jolt of the pothole converted the patient's racing heart to normal rhythms.

"It's rare, but it's a well-described phenomenon," Nebraska Medicine's Dr. Andrew Goldsweig said.
"One way to treat that is with an electrical shock. Classically, you'll see it on television. The paddles, 'Clear' and a big jolt. Turns out, you can do that with a pothole," Goldsweig said.

Friends of the patient who was released from the hospital a day later said he will surely be looking at potholes a little differently from now on.