A former Down hurler who suffered a cardiac arrest in a gym says he would not be alive today without the quick actions of his training partners.

Stephen Keith collapsed after a training session at a gym in Portaferry and spent almost a month in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital as doctors worked to determine what had caused the cardiac arrest.

Reflecting on the incident, he said he considers himself "extremely lucky" to have survived and is now urging more people to learn CPR and ensure defibrillators are available in their communities.

"Wednesday morning I was in the gym, just a normal morning," the 39-year-old told BBC Sport NI.

"At the end of the class there was a finisher, more or less a race. After we finished it, I came off the bike and hit the ground."

He has little memory of what happened next, but friends told him he collapsed suddenly after walking away from the exercise bike and stopped breathing.

A trained nurse who was taking part in the session immediately began CPR, while others rushed to retrieve nearby defibrillators in the town.

"The downtime was about 20 to 22 minutes," he said.

"Without Barry (Milligan) being there and starting CPR, it wasn't looking good that morning. I was very, very lucky."

The former county hurler said the experience highlighted just how vital CPR training and access to defibrillators can be.

"I'm proof that it is life-saving," Keith told BBC Sport NI.

"If the lads weren't in the gym with me that morning and there wasn't a defib close by, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you today. That's 100% true."

Doctors later discovered one of his main coronary arteries was blocked and inserted a stent. He has also had an implantable defibrillator fitted as a precaution.

"I've had a good career and a good run.

"I played county hurling up until last season and I was hoping to give another year to my club Ballycran. But personally, going forward, I don't think I will play again. I don't think it would be fair putting my wife and family through that."

The father of two says the incident has given him a new outlook on life.

"I have a five-year-old and a three-year-old at home. I just think to myself how lucky I am to have another chance here. I could have been dead, gone, and still had a wife and two young kids there."

Now, he hopes sharing his story will encourage others to learn CPR and support the provision of defibrillators.

"The main reason I'm telling this story is that CPR training saves lives.

"Communities, sports clubs and organisations need defibs and they need to make sure they're working - it saved my life."