NFL safety Damar Hamlin has helped 1,293 people learn hands-only CPR in just one hour in Pittsburgh, setting a Guinness World Record and bringing his campaign to improve emergency response training to his home city. The event was held at Acrisure Stadium during the NFL Draft, in partnership with the American Heart Association, the National Football League and Dr Mikhail Varshavski, widely known online as Dr Mike. The group aimed to teach as many people as possible how to respond when someone suffers a cardiac arrest. The 60-minute session broke the previous record for the most people taught hands-only CPR at one location within an hour. Participants received practical instruction and practised chest compressions on training manikins under the supervision of certified instructors and Guinness World Records adjudicators. The achievement carries particular meaning for Hamlin, who survived a cardiac arrest during a Buffalo Bills game in January 2023. Medical staff performed CPR on the pitch, helping save his life. Since then, he has worked to raise awareness of CPR, access to defibrillators and the need for people to act quickly during medical emergencies.
Hamlin’s experience drives CPR campaign
Hamlin, a native of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, played college football at the University of Pittsburgh before joining the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. Returning to his home city for the record attempt gave him an opportunity to support a cause closely linked to his own experience. Speaking about the gathering, Hamlin said: “To see so many people come together in my hometown to learn this life-saving skill is deeply moving. Knowing that nearly 1,300 more people now have the confidence to step up in an emergency is incredible. This is about giving families more time together, just like I was given.” His cardiac arrest took place during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on 2 January 2023. The incident led to widespread concern as medical staff treated him on the pitch before he was taken to hospital. Hamlin later returned to professional football and became an advocate for CPR education and wider access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs). His recovery has also helped bring greater attention to the role that immediate action can play when someone’s heart suddenly stops. According to the American Heart Association, CPR can double or triple a person’s chances of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest when it is started promptly.
Why hands-only CPR matters
Hands-only CPR is a simplified form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation that focuses on chest compressions. It is designed to help members of the public respond quickly when an adult suddenly collapses and is unresponsive and not breathing normally. The American Heart Association recommends pushing hard and fast in the centre of the chest, at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. People should call emergency services and ask someone to find an AED if one is available. Unlike conventional CPR, hands-only CPR does not require mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths. This can make it easier for people without formal medical training to act while waiting for emergency responders. At the Pittsburgh event, participants practised the technique on training manikins as instructors guided them through the process. Guinness World Records adjudicators monitored the session to confirm that the record requirements were met. Dr Mike, who took part in the initiative alongside Hamlin, stressed the need for people to recognise a cardiac emergency and respond without delay. “Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. The difference between life and death often comes down to whether someone nearby knows what to do and acts quickly.” The American Heart Association says more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals in the United States each year. Many happen in homes or other places where a family member, friend or member of the public may be the first person able to help.
A national effort to improve survival
The Pittsburgh record attempt formed part of the American Heart Association’s wider Nation of Lifesavers campaign, which aims to double survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest by 2030. The association has called for more people to learn CPR, pointing to the gap between the number of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside hospitals and those who receive help before emergency services arrive. Its published figures show that survival remains low. The association’s 2025 CPR guidance reports that around 350,000 people experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest annually in the US, with roughly 10 per cent surviving. Immediate CPR can improve the chances of survival while medical teams prepare further treatment. The record-setting session at Acrisure Stadium was intended to give hundreds of families and community members practical skills they could use in an emergency. Rather than limiting training to healthcare workers, the initiative encouraged ordinary members of the public to learn the basics.
Expanding access to defibrillators
Hamlin has also supported efforts to make emergency equipment more widely available through his charitable organisation, The Chasing M’s Foundation. The foundation has worked to distribute AEDs and support educational programmes involving schools, youth sports leagues and community organisations. AEDs can analyse a person’s heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock when needed to help restore a normal rhythm. The NFL has also backed wider emergency preparedness measures, including emergency action plans and access to life-saving equipment at sports and recreational facilities. The American Heart Association and the league worked with Hamlin and Dr Mike to organise the Pittsburgh training session. According to the association’s announcement on 27 April 2026, the 1,293 participants completed hands-only CPR training in one hour during the second day of the NFL Draft on 24 April. For Hamlin, the achievement linked a personal experience with a public health effort. The record added 1,293 trained people to the growing number of Americans learning how to respond when a cardiac emergency strikes.