B.C. man honoured for saving friend's life using CPR
Alaster Osborne was honoured at his Squamish, B.C., woodshop Monday with an award for helping to save his friend and business partner's life using CPR.
The Squamish Finishing Solutions co-owner was presented with a Vital Link Award, which B.C. Emergency Health Services uses to recognize "significant contributions" made by everyday citizens during medical emergencies.
In December 2019, Osborne was booking a flight to England for the holidays when his business partner, Marc Dandurand, suddenly suffered an electric shock.
Durand had been crafting wooden Christmas gifts using a new and risky wood-burning technique involving parts from an old microwave.
"As soon as I touched it with both hands, I connected the circuit. It sent me flying back 10 feet," he said. "And this is where Al found me."
Osborne came running down and immediately performed CPR while waiting for ambulance to show up.
"He realized his phone was upstairs so he had to stop, prop the door open, scream for help, but nobody was around. (So he) ran upstairs, got his cellphone and then called 911," Dandurand said.
"I was obviously scared. I feel like my natural instincts kicked in," Osborne said.
BJ Chute, unit chief of the Squamish ambulance station, said Osborne's actions could well have saved his business partner's life.
"He performed heroic measures on a friend, and that's not easy," he said. "Without Alaster's quick-thinking, heroic efforts ... I think we would be having a very different service here."
The link provided by bystanders providing CPR until paramedics arrive is "critical in the chances of that person surviving," he added.
While first responders did resuscitate Dandurand, he still spent a week in a coma in hospital.
His family didn’t know if he would pull through and even considered taking him off life support, but he miraculously woke up and was discharged before the end of December.
Dandurand says he now looks at life through a different lens.
"Just enjoy every minute that you have, every day. Don't take anything for granted. I know it sounds all cheesy, but it's true," he said.
As for Osborne, he takes his award graciously and humbly.
"I'm not a hero. I would do this again in any situation that is required. I feel like it's our obligation as people in society to support other people and help other people," he said.
He and Dandurand spent the next several weeks after the incident making a wooden table which they plan to auction off and donate the money to a charity on behalf of the first responders.
"To me, it's a small way of giving back using our skills that we work with everyday," said Osborne.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.