Joseph Prusak of Northampton was out for his daily run on the Nor-Bath Trail in April when he nearly died.

Another man on the trail that day, Northampton resident Joseph Krantz, noticed Prusak's unusually heavy breathing and asked if he was OK.

"Did I say 'hi' to you as I passed by?" asked Prusak, a seasoned runner who participated in the Marine Corps Marathon in Virginia for 14 consecutive years.

Then he dropped to the ground unconscious and stopped breathing.

Krantz immediately dialed 911 for help and began CPR.

Meanwhile, Northampton resident Terry Pavlak was on her way to work when she noticed several vehicles parked in the street.

She thought maybe a vehicle struck a loose dog in the residential neighborhood, she said.

As Pavlak exited her vehicle, she saw Prusak on the ground and Krantz performing CPR.

"Do you need help?" she hollered. "I know CPR."

Krantz, who hadn't taken a CPR class in more than 10 years gratefully allowed the recently certified Pavlak to take over until Northampton Regional EMS arrived, he said.

Prusak was taken by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenburg for treatment.

Prusak and the two good Samaritans who saved his life were reunited on the trail recently when a hospital film crew arranged to shoot a video about the importance of CPR training.

Prusak had been able to find and meet Krantz before the filming but had not been able to connect with Pavlak, he said.

When the three saw each other, Pavlak hugged Prusak and cried, saying she was so glad he had survived.

Prusak said he is a firm believer that everyone should learn CPR, especially now that he has seen how it can save a life.