MILWAUKEE — A Texas woman who witnessed 36-year-old John Meise collapse during the Milwaukee Lakefront Half Marathon on Sunday is sharing what she saw.
Debbie Pierce was visiting Milwaukee from Texas, running the 5K and the half marathon, when she saw Meise fall to the ground while crossing the Hoan Bridge.
TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins spoke with Debbie Pierce on Thursday. Watch below:
"All of a sudden, this really tall man just collapsed. I mean, he just - arms by his side - he just fell straight down," Pierce said.
She says a fellow runner immediately stopped to help.
"He turned him around and he started screaming for help. "Medics! Somebody call 911, we need help help, help," and a lot of people started stopping and yelling for help," Pierce said.
Pierce wrote an email to TMJ4 News saying, "I started praying immediately for his protection," adding, "My heart goes out to his family and friends."
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner confirmed Meise was pronounced dead after being rushed to Froedtert Hospital. What exactly caused him to collapse is still unknown.
Pierce says the death is hitting the running community hard.
"Anytime I've been in a race, it's like we're all one big family," Pierce said.
"I don't think he suffered. He just looked like he just went down," Pierce said.
Meise's family shared photos with TMJ4 News, describing him as someone who "did everything he could for the people he loved. Family members, neighbors, or anyone needing an extra hand."
"If you knew John, you loved John," his family said.
They say he loved attending his kids' sporting events or playing with dolls and Barbies with his girls. Pierce says she can tell that is true, just by what she has learned about him since the race.
"He just looked like he was a perfect family man and just doing something he loved to do," Pierce said.
For Pierce, witnessing his collapse is something she says she will never forget. She adds runners train hard for these races, and this is a reminder that anything can happen, even when you're doing what you love.
"It's very strenuous on your body, but you just never know. You just never know," Pierce said.
As of Thursday, a GoFundMe raised over $124,000 to help support the Meise family. A link to the fundraiser is available in this story.
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