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CHARLOTTE – A Charlotte father of five has a second chance at life, thanks to the quick actions of near strangers.

In Aug. 2010, Tom McCann was picking his daughter up from drivers-ed class at Providence High School, when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest.

The girl's instructor, John Potts, jumped to action immediately and called 911 while starting CPR.

"It means everything to me and it's still so emotional, even 14-15 months later," said McCann.

"You go over and over and over the things you're supposed to do and I'm just glad I had the classes and knew what to do," said Potts, during a reunion Monday at MEDIC headquarters.

When paramedics arrived, they quickly saw McCann was having a heart attack and started "Code Cool," a process that lowers a patient's body temperature to reduce brain damage.

"I remember making this statement to everybody on the scene, that this guy is going to live to see his daughter graduate,” said John Fisher, one of the first paramedics on the scene.

Six days in a coma, bypass surgery, and months of extensive therapy later, McCann beat the odds. He said he's back to work and even started working out, thanks to Potts and Fisher.

"The thought that I was gone for a while and these gentlemen brought me back and gave me the opportunity to experience that and grow old with the woman that I love, it's powerful," said McCann, fighting back tears.

Sharing their story of survival, the group hopes two messages hit home: That this can happen to anybody, even a marathon runner in their mid-40s, and the life-saving importance of CPR training.

February is American Heart Month. For more information on how you can get CPR certified, visit MEDIC's website.