A North Vancouver father of two is being hailed a hero for helping save the life of a man who went into medical distress on a SeaBus earlier this month.
Brian Counihan was heading home to his family on the North Shore shortly before 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 12, when a man across from him began feeling unwell.
"A friend that was with him basically asked for help, at which time I came over and we laid him down onto the ground," he said.
As an engineer with the District of North Vancouver, Counihan has taken several industrial first aid courses. He said he'd never had to use those skills before, but was able to quickly jump into action.
"At some point, I couldn't get a pulse anymore," he said. "It did appear that he was breathing, but the at some point, it was clear he wasn't anymore."
That's when Counihan began CPR and continued until paramedics boarded the SeaBus when it docked.
"I'm not very aware of the time or how long everything took or even what else happened around me," he said. "I really just focused at that point on the patient until the paramedics did arrive."
Counihan said he asked the first responders if they needed to take down his information. When they said they didn't, he quietly slipped away and walked home, leaving his heroic efforts unsung for an entire week.
"I was in a bit of shock, I think," Counihan said.
He later saw the story in a newspaper and contacted the local RCMP detachment to find out what had happened to the man he tried to help.
"I'm just happy, above all, that the gentleman survived and will be OK," Counihan said. "Knowing that what I did helped is obviously a good thing."
That led to a news conference on Friday, during which Cpl. Richard De Jong called Counihan's actions "immediate, selfless" and "heroic."
Counihan's wife, Ramona, is a nurse who knows all about first aid.
"It seems like he did a good job of it, so I'm very proud," she said, adding that it's not unlike her husband to step in and help someone in need.
Gerald Simkus, a heart doctor at Royal Columbian Hospital said a patient's chances of survival can double if someone knowns CPR and acts quickly.
"Things like early bystander CPR improve things tremendously and defibrillation does as well," he said.
TransLink says all of its vessels have a defibrillator on board and at least one crew member with marine level first aid training.
The transit authority says it's reviewing the incident to see what it can learn.
The man he helped has been released from hospital and has fully recovered from the incident. He did not wish to be publicly identified.
Despite all the attention, a humble Counihan called paramedics "the real heroes" of that night, adding that "I was just happy I could contribute."
With files from CTV Vancouver's Maria Weisgarber
