Off duty Cornwall-SDG paramedic helps save man’s life

(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

OTTAWA – Cornwall-SDG Paramedic Services is recognizing one of its off-duty paramedics for her efforts in helping to save a man’s life in Ottawa last month.

Caren Attias, a Primary Care Paramedic, was heading home early last month when she saw a group of bystanders doing CPR on an man in his 60s, who had collapsed on an Ottawa street.

Attias grabbed her department-issued Zoll AED Plus defibrillator and was able to give the man a life-saving shock before Ottawa emergency responders arrived on the scene.

Attias can’t say whether her actions directly saved the man’s life but the collaboration between all involved meant the victim survived.

“Congratulations to PCP Attias, bystanders, First Responders and Health Care Professionals that contributed to helping this gentleman during a medical emergency and contributing to saving a life,” the department said in a post on its Facebook page.