An off-duty New Westminster police officer was regarded as a hero for executing CPR on a man who collapsed at a local hockey rink. On March 12, Const. Curtis Heath was at Planet Ice waiting for the game of his own team to start when he noticed an upheaval on the ice.
According to Heath, there might be someone injured, but he soon noticed someone performing CPR on a 27-year old player experiencing a cardiac arrest. He might be dead for 3-4 minutes that was when he jumped into action.
Helping out a victim
He realized that first aid was not administered properly. It was then Heath intervened and offered help. CPR can drain one’s energy, so he offered help informing others that he was an off-duty police officer and had first aid training.
According to Heath, he has been in the police force for 8 years, but he never actually had to use CPR, but the training returned to him quickly.
Heath performed chest compressions for 2 minutes before using an automated external defibrillator (AED) on the man, but he did not have a pulse after receiving a shock. Heath continued with the chest compressions for another 2 minutes, during which the man started to breathe, and the AED detected a pulse.
The experience can be nerve-wracking since you do not really know if it is going to work until doing it on an actual person. After the man was able to breathe, it was a huge relief that his effort worked. The officer continued to care for the man until the emergency team arrived at the scene.
It was a panicky situation, but the outcome turned out good with the prompt response of the bystanders and staff of Planet Ice. It was a group effort that resulted to the recovery of the man.
Vital nature of first aid training
This event clearly shows the importance of a first aid and CPR course since you never know when emergencies will happen. Prompt response can make a difference between life and death during emergencies. Understandably, people should learn CPR. With CPR, you are extending the chances of survival.
For more information about this story, click here to learn.
LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a CPR and AED training class and for more information, check out these sources:
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/cardiopulmonary-resuscitation-cpr-treatment
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/first-aid-basics-and-drsabcd