Health

Pothole saves Nebraska man’s life

There’s one less reason to complain about potholes.

Emergency responders said a Nebraska man has a giant pothole to thank after the jolt from one brought his racing heart back to a normal rhythm, news station WOWT reported.

Rescue crews in Gretna were dispatched last Monday to rush the 59-year-old unidentified patient with an irregular heartbeat to a hospital.

During the drive, the man’s heart reportedly skyrocketed to a rate of 200 beats per minute — more than twice the average resting heart rate for older adults.

But relief came to the patient in the form of a pothole: When the vehicle hit a massive one, his heart rate miraculously returned to a normal rhythm, according to a report on the emergency scanner.

“It’s rare, but it’s a well-described phenomenon,” Dr. Andrew Goldsweig of Nebraska Medicine told WOWT.

Goldsweig said a “big jolt” often helps treat a rapid heartbeat.

“Turns out, you can do that with a pothole,” Goldsweig told the news station.