Life-saving heroes honoured by city’s fire department
Avalanche rescuer, man who saved LRT passenger, among 27 recognized
One saved a fellow transit passenger. Another performed first-aid on an unconscious cyclist in a city park.
In all, 27 civilians and emergency personnel were honoured by Calgary Fire Chief Steve Dongworth with a Medal of Bravery or certificate of recognition for their heroic acts.
“To see folks stepping up in very difficult situations, often putting themselves at risk to help out other Calgarians ... you’re often left speechless by the stories,” said Dongworth during Thursday’s Beyond The Call luncheon.
Benoit St. Pierre was awarded the medal for his role in saving a group of skiers buried in an avalanche in March 2014. He used an avalanche beacon locator and a snow probe to dig out two people from under the snow.
“I thought it was going to be really difficult to dig through the debris, there were big chunks of snow. We got to the first victim, who had an obvious lack of oxygen,” St. Pierre said.
Searching frantically for the second victim, he didn’t think he was digging fast enough, but once he realized both skiers were alive and doing OK, he was overwhelmed.
“When the switch goes on, you just, ‘do.’ You don’t think. You just do,” he said.
Thomas Snow, meanwhile, was waiting at the Southland LRT station when a man fell off the platform, struck his head and landed on the tracks. “I noticed a ton of people around the tracks, at that time I heard the CTrain pulling up. I immediately started making my way over, waved to the driver of the CTrain and went to go help the person,” Snow said.
He and another man hauled the unconscious victim off the track and onto the platform and removed a bag tangled around the person’s neck which was constricting his breathing.
“It’s quite humbling to be amongst so many exceptional members of the community,” Snow added.
Nominations for the annual awards are accepted through the city’s 311 line.