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
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.