A St. Lazare resident along with family members made a visit to the town’s fire station on March 31 to pay tribute and thank all the emergency personnel and staff who helped save his life.
Robert McEwen and wife Margaret met with VIVA MÉDIA on April 10 to talk about his recent cardiac arrest and the rapid response from St. Lazare emergency services and Lakeshore General Hospital personnel who helped to save his life. (PHOTO BY JOHN JANTAK)
Robert McEwen, 65, was found lying unconscious on the ground in his house by daughter Kelly McEwen last December 28. She immediately reported the emergency and began administering Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while his son-in-law kept McEwen’s airways open.
A team of three emergency first responders from the town quickly arrived and confirmed McEwen was in cardiac arrest. They delivered three shocks from an automated external defibrillator with help from Sûreté du Québec (SQ) police officers who were also on scene.
Paramedics from the Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers de la Montérégie (CETAM) then arrived and continued treating McEwen. A first-responder from the town and an SQ officer accompanied the paramedics in the ambulance, kept administering CPR and focused on keeping McEwen’s blood flowing as they headed to the Lakeshore General Hospital (LGH) where he was eventually resuscitated.
‘Well-oiled machine’
More than three months since his ordeal, McEwen told VIVA MÉDIA during an interview on April 10 he’s ‘feeling great’ but still recovering from his near-death experience. Now he wants to express his gratitude to everyone who helped him survive.
“I wanted to meet everybody who was at my house that night and saved my life. My family and I were fortunate enough to get to meet them all personally at the fire station. It was very humbling for me. I needed to do that. I feel very fortunate it happened in my house. The first responders were fantastic. It was a fantastic teamwork event. I can’t thank them enough,” McEwen said.
His appreciation extends to what he calls ‘a well-oiled machine’ – a diverse and efficient medical emergency response system that includes the ‘excellent’ medical care he received upon arriving at the LGH where personnel had been notified about the situation ahead of time.
“I’m not done yet. I’m going to go to the hospital and meet with the intensive care unit nurse and staff who took care of not only me but my family constantly. My doctor had everything set up in emergency before we even got there. They were waiting for me. I feel very fortunate,” said McEwen.
Efficient emergency service
Mayor Geneviève Lachance lauded the city’s emergency response personnel for the prompt life-saving services provided to McEwen and his family.
“It’s a known fact our fire department and first responders provide excellent service. They’re efficient, quick, reliable and very much appreciated by our population. I have nothing but great things to say about them. Mr. McEwen and his family were able to benefit from the first responders especially since they were first on the scene. They needed quick action and we were able to provide that,” said Lachance.
