Cardiac Arrest on the Golf Course: CPR Gave Bill Kushubar a Second Chance
Written by Pearl Salkin
Updated September 2026 with details from Bill Kushubar’s survivor account and current CPR guidance.
A round of golf is supposed to be an escape.
For Bill Kushubar of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, one round in 2009 became a fight for survival.
Bill was 54 years old and playing with friends when he reached the 15th hole.
He hit his shot.
Then he collapsed.
At first, his friends thought he was joking about the bad shot.
Then Bill began turning purple.
They quickly realized he was in cardiac arrest on the golf course and needed help immediately.
A Friend Remembered CPR From 15 Years Earlier
Bill’s friend Charlie Sourbeer took charge.
Charlie had learned CPR at work about 15 years earlier.
When the emergency happened, he still remembered enough to act.
He told someone to call 911 and sent another person toward the clubhouse to look for a defibrillator.
Then Charlie began CPR.
According to Bill’s later survivor account, Charlie performed CPR for roughly 20 minutes.
That is a long time to perform chest compressions, and Charlie eventually became exhausted.
Fortunately, another person appeared.
A passing jogger named Tim, who worked as a personal trainer and also knew CPR, stopped to help.
He relieved Charlie and kept the resuscitation effort going.
CPR Continued While Help Tried to Reach the Golf Course
Bill had collapsed in an area of the course that was difficult for emergency vehicles to reach.
The fairways were wet and soggy, creating another obstacle for rescuers.
Golf-course staff reportedly used a flatbed landscaping vehicle to help emergency personnel reach Bill.
Police officers also arrived with a defibrillator.
Bill later recalled being told that he received multiple shocks before his heart rhythm was restored and required additional defibrillation after reaching the ambulance.
His friends had started the Chain of Survival.
Professional rescuers continued it.
High-Quality CPR Bought Bill Time
Bill’s rescue is a vivid example of why CPR during cardiac arrest matters.
CPR usually does not restart the heart by itself.
Its job is to help keep blood moving to the brain and other vital organs until defibrillation or other advanced treatment can restore an effective rhythm.
The 2025 American Heart Association guidelines identify high-quality CPR as the most critical intervention during cardiac arrest and emphasize prompt defibrillation when a shockable rhythm is present.
Bill needed many minutes of CPR before the full emergency-response system could reach him.
Without Charlie and Tim continuing compressions, the outcome could have been very different.
Bill’s Condition Was Extremely Serious
Bill was initially taken to Harrisburg Osteopathic Hospital and later transferred to Harrisburg Hospital.
His condition remained critical.
He was eventually airlifted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for specialized cardiac evaluation and treatment.
According to his survivor account, Bill remained on a ventilator for approximately 12 days.
He did not wake up until about three weeks after the cardiac arrest, and it was roughly five weeks before he returned home.
Remarkably, he survived.
Post-Cardiac-Arrest Cooling Has Changed Since 2009
Bill’s wife was a nurse and reportedly asked about cooling therapy during his hospitalization.
At the time, treatment after cardiac arrest was often discussed as therapeutic hypothermia, with an emphasis on lowering body temperature.
The science and terminology have evolved.
Current American Heart Association guidance recommends a deliberate, protocol-based temperature-control strategy for adults who remain unresponsive to verbal commands after circulation returns.
The recommended range is 32°C to 37.5°C, and temperature control should generally be maintained for at least 36 hours in appropriate patients.
This is specialized medical treatment.
For a bystander witnessing cardiac arrest on a golf course, the priorities are much simpler:
Call 911. Start CPR. Get an AED.
Doctors Did Not Find the Cause Everyone Expected
People often assume that sudden cardiac arrest must be caused by a major blocked artery or heart attack.
That is not always the case.
According to Bill’s account, doctors did not find significant coronary blockages and did not identify a clear cause for his cardiac arrest.
Bill eventually went home with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD, placed in his chest.
An ICD monitors the heart rhythm and can deliver treatment when certain dangerous rhythms occur.
Bill also made significant lifestyle changes, including improving his diet and losing about 30 pounds.
Cardiac Arrest Can Happen Without Warning
Bill did not consider himself someone at obvious risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
He was playing golf, not competing in an extreme endurance event.
That is part of what makes cardiac arrest so unpredictable.
It can happen:
- At home
- At work
- During exercise
- At a sporting event
- On a golf course
- While shopping
- During an ordinary day
When it happens, the people already nearby become the first link in the rescue.
CPR Training Can Stay With You for Years
One of the most striking parts of Bill’s story is that Charlie’s CPR training was about 15 years old.
When the emergency came, enough of that knowledge remained for him to act.
Of course, CPR skills should be refreshed regularly.
Training recommendations and techniques change over time, and hands-on practice helps keep skills familiar.
But Charlie’s response shows something important:
Learning CPR once can leave an impression that may surface years later when someone desperately needs help.
A Chain of People Kept Acting
Bill’s survival was not the result of one single intervention.
Charlie started CPR.
Tim helped continue it.
Golf-course staff helped rescuers reach Bill.
Police brought a defibrillator.
EMS continued resuscitation.
Hospital teams provided advanced care.
Each person became part of the chain.
The American Heart Association’s 2025 guidelines now use a Universal Chain of Survival that emphasizes coordinated action from recognition and CPR through advanced care and recovery.
Bill’s story shows what that chain looks like in the real world.
CPR Training in Central Pennsylvania
Bill’s story has a special connection to Harrisburg and central Pennsylvania.
In-Pulse CPR provides hands-on American Heart Association CPR, BLS, AED, and First Aid training in the greater Harrisburg area and surrounding central Pennsylvania communities.
View Upcoming Pennsylvania CPR Classes
Businesses, schools, churches, golf facilities, healthcare organizations, and other groups can also schedule private on-site training.
Learn About On-Site CPR Training
Bill Kushubar did not expect his life to depend on CPR when he stepped onto the golf course that day.
Charlie Sourbeer did not expect to use training he had learned 15 years earlier.
But when the moment arrived, someone knew what to do.
That gave Bill a second chance.
Updated September 2026: This article was originally written by Pearl Salkin and has been substantially revised using details from Bill Kushubar’s published survivor account. Medical information has also been updated to reflect the 2025 American Heart Association CPR, defibrillation, Chain of Survival, and post-cardiac-arrest temperature-control guidance.
