The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Former Pars boss Jefferies’ shock after he ‘died’ for four minutes
Former Dunfermline manager Jim Jefferies has revealed his shock at discovering he had ‘died’ for four minutes after suffering a heart attack.
He was initially told he had stopped breathing for 25 seconds during an ambulance ride to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
The 69-year-old – who spent nearly three years in charge at East End Park until 2014 – collapsed while playing golf at Gullane in East Lothian in September.
However, he only found out a few weeks ago that he had actually been ‘dead’ for four minutes after being presented with a print out of the ECG chart which monitored his heart activity in the ambulance.
His friend Mike Korotkich is married to one of the paramedics who treated him and gave him the chart as a souvenir.
Jefferies said he nearly had another heart attack when he discovered how long he had been lifeless for.
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, he said: “Funny enough when I first came out the hospital they were saying to me I was passed away for 25 seconds and that’s what I told everybody.
“But I was golfing a couple of weeks ago with Mike Korotkich, it was his wife that was in the ambulance at the time.
“After the golf he said ‘I’ve got something in the car for you’.
“So I goes over and he comes back with the graph from the ECG. I said ‘where does it tell I was out for 25 seconds’ and he says ‘25 seconds? It was four minutes you were away for’.
“It just about gave me a heart attack on the spot.
“Four minutes. It’s scary stuff. I feel very fortunate to have come through.”
Jefferies told the podcast he had made a full recovery and was now back playing golf regularly.
He added: “I’m keeping fine. I’ve never felt better actually.
“Before it happened I was feeling a wee bit not great but I thought I was just getting older.”
Jefferies, who has also managed Hearts, Falkirk, Kilmarnock and Bradford, had a stent fitted and was treated in hospital for two days following the incident.
After he was released he praised the “wonderful medical staff” who cared for him in the ambulance and at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.