Emergency teams from the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in the Makkah region successfully restored the heartbeat of an Algerian pilgrim after he suffered cardiac arrest in the outer courtyard of the Grand Mosque, specifically near Gate 74.

The Authority confirmed that the Command, Control, and Medical Dispatch Center received a report on Saturday, 15 Ramadan 1446 AH (March 15, 2025) at 4:06 a.m., stating that a man in his sixties had lost consciousness and collapsed near Gate 74 in the mosque’s outer courtyards.

Emergency teams stationed at the Grand Mosque were immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon medical assessment, the patient was found to be in cardiac and respiratory arrest. Following established emergency protocols, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated using the LUCAS mechanical chest compression device, along with the deployment of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)—readily available in the mosque through the “Wamen Aḥyāhā” (And Whoever Saves a Life) initiative.

Thanks to these swift efforts, the patient's pulse was successfully restored, praise be to God, and he was transported to a medical facility to continue receiving the necessary care.

Notably, the response time to the case was less than two minutes, made possible by the pre-deployed emergency and volunteer teams stationed throughout the Grand Mosque as part of the Red Crescent’s Ramadan emergency response plan in the Makkah region.