News Online: Staff’s quick thinking and defibrillator saved man’s life

Published online at GlobalTVEdmonton.com on February 9, 2011.


Linda Hoang, Global News: Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Staff’s quick thinking and defibrillator saved man’s life

Staff at a south Edmonton restuarant are being praised for some quick thinking that recently saved a customer’s life.

Randy Reimer was having dinner at Boston Pizza in South Common two weeks ago when he suffered from a heart attack.

“First bite, felt very tired, sat back in the chair thinking ‘Something’s wrong,'” Reimer said.

That’s all he remembers before waking up on the floor after Boston Pizza staff sprung into action to help him.

Manager Darlene Zuk called 911 and got another employee to grab a defibrillator while nurses at a nearby table performed CPR on Reimer, who at that time had fallen off his chair to the ground.

“We were very lucky, I truly believe that nurses are angels, and we had three angels in our restaurant that night that jumped up,” Zuk said.

The defibrillator was needed, and emergency crews later said that it had saved Reimer’s life.

“I worked in the fire services for over 20 years with Toronto fire services and I’ve saved people with defibrillators but when you hear of this it makes your hair on your arms stand up, its a wonderful thing,” said John Collie with Rescue 7.

The AED Rescue 7 system with the automated external defibrillator has been in Edmonton-area Boston Pizzas for over a year now.

Staff were given three-hour training lessons on how to work the defibrillator and Remier is proof that the training was worth it.

On Wednesday morning Rescue 7 presented the Boston Pizza with a plaque in recognition of their “heroic life saving response.”

Reimer was also on hand to give his thanks, overwhelmed over the heroics from staff and the nearby nurses who had all helped save his life.

“It’s not a lot you can really put into words.”

“I was really proud of my team and everyone did what they had to do in order to help someone who really needed our help at that moment,” Zuk said.

“That was a pretty great day to write in that in the manager’s log… What did you do today? Oh, we were busy and we saved a life.”

With files from Shane Jones

Click here to read the article on the Global Edmonton website.

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