Heart attack at MMX cross country

This past weekend at the MMX Cross Country race in Marysville CA we had a very ugly situation during the last race on Saturday. I was the referee for the weekend and it's something I hope I never have to deal with again. On the track at the time was the Vet C, Sr. C, Super Sr. C, Masters, Vintage Blue Plate, & Jr Sportsmen. About 50 minutes into the 90 minute race a racer had a heart attack while running second in his class and second overall. Eye witnesses behind him said he went into a turn and simply fell down. As the fourth place rider went by he noticed something didn't look right so he went off the track, turned around and went back. When he got to the rider he noticed the down rider was unconscious and not breathing so he checked for a heart beat. From what I've been told the rider who stopped to help had recently been sent to a CPR refresher course by his employer. He immediately began the chest compressions.

While all of this was unfolding I was at the far opposite end of the track with another rider that had crashed and the medics were looking at his separated shoulder. As I walked away from the shoulder injury another racer from the Senior class came racing up and said there's a rider down on the far side and they're giving him CPR. I ran to my bike jumped on and raced to where I was told he was. When I got there I saw a lifeless body getting CPR compressions from a guy with full gear except for his helmet and right then I knew we had something serious. Without stopping I raced back to the ambulance where the medics had returned to and told them to get over there as fast as they could. I raced back to the location of the heart attack victim and he was still receiving CPR from the same guy.

By now about 7 or 8 minutes had elapsed since I first got word. I got to the scene and threw my bike down and went to the middle of the track about 100 feet before the downed rider to stop the racers that were all still racing but definitely heeding the multiple yellow flags and waved the race off telling everyone the race is being red flagged. By now I had a lot of help making sure no rider went any further on the track as the racers were being directed back to the pits. I turned around and noticed the ambulance had arrived and now they were taking over the efforts to save the rider. As I turn back around to see the oncoming bikes I noticed a large group of guys were dicing and coming our way so I moved a little further up the track to shut them all down. When you stand in the middle of the track waving your arms while wearing the black and white striped shirt the riders tend to pay attention more so than for flaggers. Everyone slowed and pulled off the track as I pointed for them to and I explained the race was over and to go back to the pits. When I turned around again the first thing I noticed was they had the guy on the gurney but they had quit doing CPR. My stomach immediately tightened up as I feared the worse.

I ran over to one of the medics and asked why CPR had stopped and I was told "after a couple of shocks we got a faint heartbeat". The ambulance loaded him up and took off to the hospital which was probably only a mile or so away as the crow flies but that was across the river. Close enough by road it wouldn't take long to get him to the hospital.

Now that the rider was taken care of I had decisions to make. How was I going to score the race? At the time main check got word to red flag the race we were at about the 58 minute mark. I looked for the District 36 Cross Country steward and told him I wanted to go back to the last full lap before the red flag came out and score the race as over at that point. We discussed it and he agreed so that was the decision I stuck to. Word of the heart attack spread through the pits like wildfire.

I have been the referee at motocross or cross country races over 100 times dating back to 1977 and I have had to red flag races before but never for this serious of a situation. There seems to always be a bunch of riders that bitch and moan because they were doing well or in some kind of championship points battle or who knows what else but always there were pissed off riders to deal with. Not this time. No complaining, at least none that I am aware of and complaints that don't go to the referee don't count.

For the next hour or so I stayed in the area where they had signups and scoring still expecting somebody to come bitch. By now the race had been scored and the protest period was over and people were getting their trophies. A couple guys that were walking by after they saw they did not trophy told me that the race results showed that the rider who suffered the heart attack was scored as second place and second overall. Don't get me wrong, the guys that didn't trophy were by no way complaining, they just said the injured rider got second. Apparently my instruction to the scorers was a little off because the race should have been called without him finishing second. Oh well, the protest period was over so everyone had plenty of time to complain if they didn't like the results as posted.

I truly believe had this all happened during any other race during the weekend the whole thing would not have been so smooth. As the referee of the event representing MMX Promotions and District 36 and as a 25 year member of the Dirt Diggers North MC I want to thank each and every racer that was entered in that race. The compassion you all showed for the down rider by first staying completely clear of him by taking the far outside before you were waved off and the admirable sportsmanship every one of you displayed by never questioning any of the actions of the flaggers and other officials you should all be commended. Even when the scoring was done wrong (my fault and no one else) there was still never a complaint. I would like to shake every one of your hands.

The rider that suffered the heart attack was moved from the local hospital and taken to UCD Medical center in the middle of the night. When I arrived at the track Sunday morning I was immediately given the news that as of just a couple hours earlier the doctors had removed the tubes in his throat and he was beginning to speak. That was great news and the rest of the day would be good.

One more thing, I want to say a special THANK YOU to the rider that sacrificed his race to help a rider in need. After talking to him at length on Sunday I learned that he stayed with the CPR for a full 11 minutes before he was relieved. Not only that but the downed rider was a very good friend of his. When I asked him how tough it was to try to save a good friend's life he said "I don't know, I don't remember, I was just doing what I was trained to do. Anybody would have." Moments after the ambulance pulled away he and the District 36 Chaplain embraced and openly cried for probably 5 minutes. A lot of us cried. The steward and I hugged and cried. It's okay for grown men to cry.

I really hope I don't upset him by telling everyone that reads this lengthy post who saved this man's life but his name is Leon Hannum. Leon showed what being a good person is all about. My hat is off to you. You are a true hero in my eyes. If you know Leon be sure to let him know what you think about his actions. I do know this, DDNMC will not be charging him an entry fee if he decides to ride the Lilliputian cross country race in a few weeks. This guy needs to be recognized as someone who showed what being a good person is all about. Thank you Leon.



Mark Hilton
AMA Life Member
District 36 Life Member
Member DDNMC
Event referee