KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 58-year-old man running in the Big 12 Championship 5K wants to thank several people for saving his life Saturday morning. David Houchin’s family says doctors have told them the quick action came during a life or death situation when he had a heart attack.

Houchin says he doesn`t remember a thing. He was confused when he woke up in the hospital, and asked his wife what happened.

“My daughter wasn`t feeling good, so I ran with my son,” Houchin said.

“He slowed down and stopped, and said ‘whoa, whoa,’ and went to his knee, and so I stopped and turned around and said, ‘do you need a break, are you feeling okay?’” said Regan Houchin, David’s son.

Regan, 22, says they were 2.5 miles in, and had about a half-mile left.

“When he went to his knee, and braced himself with his hands, he then rolled over onto his back,” Regan described.

He said it was clear his dad wasn`t breathing.

“It was scary, I didn`t know what to do,” Regan said.

He called for help and other racers stopped immediately.

“Luckily there were some medical students that were trailing us that actually came directly over to us within minutes, and checked his pulse and began giving him chest compressions and performing CPR,” said Regan, “Immediately after that, a couple other doctors that were running the race came and helped and began doing the same thing, started taking turns giving my dad CPR.”

A cardiologist at Truman Medical Center says without the help of the Good Samaritans, they could have had a totally different outcome.

“If CPR wasn`t started immediately, the chances of permanent brain damage and heart damage that couldn`t be recovered would be very high,” Dr. Paramdeep Baweja advised.

“They`re amazing people, if it weren`t for them, my dad might not be here,” said Regan.

“I really appreciate that, because I probably wouldn`t have made it, if it hadn`t have been for those guys,” added Houchin.

Houchin’s wife was at a nearby coffee shop while they were running. When she found out the news, a stranger overheard and called her an Uber to take to the hospital.

“She wasn`t quite sure how that works, so when she asked the driver, how do I pay you? He looked at his phone and said, ‘Charles paid for it,’” Regan said.

Houchin is doing a lot better now, and is hoping everyone who stopped to help is watching:

“Thank you very much, I owe my life to them,” said Houchin “I`d like to meet those guys.”

FOX 4 viewers identified one of the good Samaritans as Dr. Jack Hurig, who has a practice in Marshall, Mo.