On March 12, 2011, ATR Steel presented a first aid course for its employees. What most people learn in this type of course often remains theoretical, but Luc Dupuis, team leader and cutter at ATR Steel, was able to put the techniques into practice just a few hours later. A serious injury to an arm could have meant a deadly ending to a relaxed evening at a sugar shack.
Luc’s swift action helped save the life of 17-year-old Jonathan Lessard (see photo). Remaining calm and collected, Luc took the necessary measures to stabilize the victim in an admirable act of heroism. A first aid course might seem trivial, but you never know when it will come in handy.
On November 29, 2011, an article by Vincent Gauthier in Le Nouvelliste recapped the events. Here is an excerpt:
(Trois-Rivières) On March 13, without the heroic action of four residents in Saint-Alexis-des-Monts, Julie Lessard may not have seen her 17-year-old son, Jonathan, grow up. (…)
On March 13, after a night of drinking at a friend’s place, Jonathan severely lacerated his arm while falling through a window.
Luckily, Annick Grandchamp, Luc Dupuis, Patrick Vallières and Philippe Giguère were nearby and immediately came to his rescue. In an amazing twist of fate, Mr. Dupuis had just completed a first aid course the day before. Without this training, which was still fresh in his memory, Jonathan Lessard might not have survived.
“When I reached the victim, I saw that the main artery was severed. We didn’t have much time to react. I think he had already lost two-thirds of his blood. I happened to be in the right place at the right time. If no one had known what to do, and if I hadn’t just taken the training, he would have surely died,” recalls Mr. Dupuis.
Everyone played a very specific role when in the first aid effort. While Annick Grandchamp called 911, Patrick Vallières helped out by making the bandages while Philippe Giguère directed the EMTs from the road to the accident site, in a remote part of the sugar bush.
An emotional ceremony
Emotions were running high on Sunday, when Jean-Paul Diamond, MNA for Maskinongé, presented Jonathan’s four lifesavers with medals from the National Assembly in honour of their bravery.
“This closes the loop for the entire story. It was important to thank them, because they were the ones who kept my son alive,” says Ms. Lessard.
Annick Grandchamp still has vivid memories of the incident. “The best thanks we could have is the fact that Jonathan is still alive today. It’s the only thing that matters,” she says with great humility. (…)
Source: http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-nouvelliste
