Ottawa

City worker, woman save jogger's life

Ottawa paramedics are crediting a City of Ottawa worker and a bystander for helping to save the life of a jogger whose heart stopped Wednesday morning in Barrhaven.

Man's chances of survival 'greatly diminished' without intervention, Ottawa paramedics say

An Ottawa paramedic vehicle is parked next to a City of Ottawa truck at Neil Nesbitt Park in Barrhaven on Wednesday morning, where a jogger collapsed and bystanders worked to help save him. (Ottawa Paramedic Service)

Ottawa paramedics are crediting a City of Ottawa worker and a bystander for helping save the life of a jogger whose heart stopped Wednesday morning in Barrhaven.

It happened near the intersection of Holitman and Foxfield drives, at Neill Nesbitt Park, at about 8:40 a.m., paramedics said in a media release.

The jogger, a man in his 60s, collapsed and was found by Troy Featherston, a city parks employee, and another bystander. They started CPR and continued until paramedics arrived.

Paramedics then gave the man two shocks using a defibrillator and injected him with epinepherine. He regained circulation and was able to breathe and move on his own, paramedics said.

He was then taken to hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.

"CPR initiated by bystanders is one of the crucial links of the chain of survival for cardiac arrests," paramedic spokesperson Supt. Marc-Antoine Deschamps wrote in the media release.

"Without this important step, chances of survival are greatly diminished. The City of Ottawa park worker and bystander worked together to save that man's life."