Man, 40, dies of cardiac arrest ten minutes after sending sick leave text to manager: 'Devastating'

News of his passing reached KV Iyyer around 11 am through a phone call.

A 40-year-old man died from a sudden cardiac arrest only minutes after requesting sick leave from his manager, an incident that drew widespread attention online and prompted discussions about hidden heart attack symptoms.

The employee, identified as Shankar, had been part of his company for six years. His manager, KV Iyyer, described him as “healthy and fit”, noting that he lived a disciplined lifestyle, did not drink alcohol or smoke, and was married with a young child.

At 8:37 am, while at home, Shankar sent a message to Iyyer: “Sir, due to heavy back pain, I am unable to come today. So please grant me leave.” Iyyer, regarding the request as routine, responded: “Ok, take rest.”

Ten minutes later, at 8:47 am, Shankar suffered a fatal cardiac arrest. He was at home and still conscious shortly before his death.

News of his passing reached Iyyer around 11 am through a phone call. Initially, he dismissed it as implausible. “I didn’t believe it in the first instance. I called another colleague to reconfirm and to get his residence address. Got the address and rushed to his house. He was NO MORE,” Iyyer wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

DEVASTATING INCIDENT WHICH HAPPENED TODAY MORNING :- One of my colleague, Shankar texted me today morning at 8.37 am with a message "Sir, due to heavy backpain I am unable to come today. So please grant me leave." Such type of leave requests, being usual, I replied "Ok take…

— KV Iyyer - BHARAT 🇮🇳🇮🇱 (@BanCheneProduct) September 13, 2025

He shared the timeline of events in detail: “One of my colleagues, Shankar, texted me this morning at 8.37 am with a message, ‘Sir, due to heavy back pain, I am unable to come today. So please grant me leave.’ Such a leave request, being usual, I replied ‘OK, take rest’. And the day continued normally. At 11 am, I received a call that shook me like never before. The person calling me said that Shankar has passed away. I didn’t believe it in the first instance. I called another colleague to reconfirm and to get his residence address. Got the address and rushed to his house. He was NO MORE.”

He added: “He was part of my team for six years. Just 40 years old, healthy and fit, married with a child, never smoked or drank.”

Expressing his disbelief, he continued: “Shankar suffered a cardiac arrest. What is unbelievable is that he sent the leave message at 8:37 am and passed away at 8:47 am. A man, fully conscious, messaged me just 10 minutes before his last breath. I am completely shocked.”

He concluded his post by reflecting on the unpredictability of life. “Life is unpredictable. Be kind to those around you and live happily, because you never know what the next minute holds.”

The post quickly went viral and drew responses from users who expressed condolences and spoke about the need to recognise early signs of heart problems.

One user wrote: “Life is truly unpredictable and we are fighting over petty reasons.. i hope we learn to make do with our shortcomings and accept others shortcomings too.. may the departed soul rest in peace.”

Another commented: “Shocking indeed and also very tragic considering his age and family. May his aatma attain sadgati. Om shanti.”

A third added: “True, life is so unpredictable. Heartfelt prayers for strength and peace to his family. Om Shanti.”

Others pointed out that symptoms such as back pain, fatigue, sweating, nausea and discomfort in the shoulder can be early indicators of a heart attack but are often mistaken for gastric issues or muscular strain. One user shared that a friend of similar age had ignored left shoulder pain, believing it was indigestion, before suffering a fatal heart attack.

Medical experts have long stressed that survival rates improve significantly if treatment begins within the first 60 to 90 minutes of cardiac arrest, underlining the importance of recognising potential warning signs.