The quick call of referees saves the live of an old timer in distress. Todd France might have missed his chance to score during a breakaway early in the game at the Dorval Oldtimers hockey tournament, but he won a bigger battle minutes into the second period.
Timely intervention to save a life
The 50-year old Todd, member of the Grey Hawks team went into cardiac arrest as he was leaving the ice after a 45-second shift. He collapsed by the boards near the bench.
Linemate, Chris Ebsworth, a friend of France’s for 30 years, was beside him when he collapsed as well as referee Eric Dewar. Luckily, Dewar is the director of the Pointe-Claire Volunteer Rescue Unit (PCVRU). Rescue unit volunteers are trained to be first responders in crisis situations.
Ebsworth stated that when France collapsed, things were bad just by looking at his face. His eyes were closed and his face was gray. Ebsworth knows how to perform CPR, but he stepped back when Dewar took command.
Dewar immediately shouted for the defibrillator which the Dorval Arena purchased in 2006 after another old-timer heart attack.
As he ripped off France’s equipment on the ice to bare his chest, PCVRU workers Nazip Injejikian and Graeme Maag arrived with the machine.
Within a minute of France’s collapse, his heart was shocked back into action and Dewar was performing CPR. By the time the ambulance arrived, France was awake and teasing his worried teammates.
Saving a life with CPR and AED skills
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED skills are vital during emergencies. You can learn these life-saving techniques by enrolling in a first aid course today.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a CPR and AED class and for more information, check out these sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_arrest
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600