NYC Marathon Runner Collapsed Near Mile 24 — The Stranger Who Held Her Hand Later Revealed What She Noticed

Rachel Apa was just miles from finishing her first New York City Marathon when she collapsed. A woman who held her hand during the rescue later revealed a heartbreaking detail.

As bystanders fought to save the 24-year-old near Mile 24, a hospital social worker noticed something on her wrist that moved her to pray.

Apa was approaching the finish of her first New York City Marathon when she collapsed near Mile 24 of the 26.2-mile course. Several bystanders rushed to help before the marathon's medical team arrived.

Among them was Michaela Nicholas, a hospital social worker who stayed beside Apa as others tried to revive her. She later revealed a deeply personal moment from the rescue that stayed with her.

Strangers Rushed to Help Rachel Apa as She Lay Unresponsive

Nicholas checked Apa but could not find a pulse. Her fiancée called for a doctor as people nearby gathered around the fallen runner.

Three bystanders, including two who identified themselves as physicians, took turns performing CPR, according to The New York Times (NYT). Nicholas remained at Apa's side, holding her hand and reassuring her that she was not alone.

The strangers had to act quickly, relying on one another as they waited for professional medical assistance.

"We worked as a team to do whatever we could to help Rachel," Nicholas told FOX 5 New York. But Apa remained unresponsive despite their efforts. "They tried everything, and she was not responding," Nicholas said.

As the rescue continued, Nicholas noticed something on Apa's wrist that prompted her to offer comfort in a different way.

A Small Detail on Rachel Apa's Wrist Moved a Stranger to Pray

Nicholas spotted a bracelet with a cross on Apa's wrist while staying close to the young runner. The religious symbol prompted a quiet, personal response amid the emergency.

"And so I said a prayer for her," Nicholas recalled during her FOX 5 NY interview. She also described rubbing the cross, hoping Apa would recover.

Nicholas continued holding Apa's hand as others worked to save her life.

While the bystanders focused on keeping the runner alive, another concern was developing: how long it would take the marathon's medical team to reach her.

The Seven-Minute Gap Before Medical Help Arrived

Timestamped photographs and videos reviewed by The New York Times placed Apa's collapse at approximately 1:33 p.m.

A marathon medical team wearing red shirts arrived by 1:40 p.m., roughly seven minutes later. The newspaper reported that a defibrillator was used between 1:41 p.m. and 1:50 p.m.

New York Road Runners, the marathon's organizer, confirmed that medical personnel used a defibrillator before paramedics transported Apa by ambulance.

Nicholas later criticized the time it took professional responders to arrive. "It was an unacceptable amount of time," she told the NYT.

As the rescue unfolded, Apa's parents were watching her progress through the marathon's tracking application. They had no way of knowing from the frozen location alone what had happened.

Rachel Apa's Parents Watched Her Marathon Progress Suddenly Stop

Apa's parents noticed that their daughter's location remained at Mile 24 as the minutes passed. Her mother went to investigate and reached the scene just as the ambulance carrying Apa was leaving, according to the NYT.

She followed in a second ambulance to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where doctors continued trying to save her daughter.

Medical personnel worked for more than six hours, but Apa could not be revived. Her family was left facing a devastating loss, with her father later identifying the medical condition he believed caused her death.

Rachel Apa's Father Struggles to Understand Her Sudden Death

Apa's father attributed her death to rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition involving the breakdown of muscle tissue, according to the NYT.

The condition can develop after intense physical exertion and may cause dangerous complications. Apa had been attempting her first marathon when she collapsed just a few miles from the finish.

For her father, the loss was difficult to reconcile with his daughter's young age and apparent physical fitness. "It's unfathomable," he told the NYT. "Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old."