How long does it take for a person to die after the heart stops beating?
Official declaration of death has to wait at least 30 minutes; sometimes even more. If cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is started within 4 minutes, good recovery is possible, provided the status of the heart and vital organs are good. It also means that death can occur if heart stops beating for more than 4 minutes. CPR has to be supplemented by advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) within about 12 minutes. The longer the delay for return of spontaneous circulation, the lesser the chance of recovery.