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Bystanders save man’s life

Dec 8, 2010 | 3:58 PM

It was the quick action of a brave group of bystanders that saved the life of a Prince Albert man on Tuesday.

It happened at the 900 block of 28th Street East when a Sean Crittenden noticed a man lying on the sidewalk as he drove by in his car.

He did a double take before pulling over and heading towards the man. He tried to ask the man if he was ok and check for vital signs but had no luck.

“There were no vitals, no breathing, no pulse,” said Crittenden. He then called 911 while others arrived.

“Another man came by and said he’d do the CPR because I had the phone in my hand between my shoulder and my ear,” he said.

“I can’t even explain what was going through my mind, just help this guy.”

The unknown man performed chest compressions, while a homeowner came out to provide some blankets for the injured man.

Paramedics eventually arrived on scene and transported the man inside their ambulance to continue administering CPR.

For Crittenden, it was one of the most emotional times of his life.

“That’s probably the worst fear I had was not knowing if he was alive or not,” he said.

While giving a statement to police, he heard on the officer’s radio that the emergency responders had managed to get a strong pulse out of the man.

“When I heard he was alive, it was just tremendous relief,” Crittenden said.

Police and ambulance services are still trying to piece together the events.

The man who performed the CRP has not yet been identified by either group.

For Crittenden, it was good to know that a group of strangers could come together and save a life.

“It wasn’t just one person that did this, it was group effort,” he said.

Paramedics say that the man was taken to the Victoria Hospital where he remains in stable but serious condition.

adesouza@panow.com