No good deed...
...goes unpunished.
These are sadly true true words.
After getting my tat today, I was heading home and witnessed a man collapse on Ste-Catherine street as I exited the Metro. He was walking with a friend and simply dropped, and when he hit he really hit. His head bounced; literally bounced off the pavement.
A few others saw this as well but weren't doing anything. So I ran across the street to see if I could help. The friend was trying to lift him to the side of the road as cars were coming. Now I know it's not wise to move a body, but the way they drive in Mtl, we moved him tout suite!
A Girl who was there had her cell and I looked and said, "You've got to call 911!" The guy was falling in and out of consciousness and his face was swelling up before our eyes.
To make things more interesting they were both deaf and the friend could only speak some broken french!
There was a cop car parked in front of a restaurant 1/2 a block a way so I went in to get them as the girl was calling 911.
Just as a first responder fire truck arrived the guy came to and didn't want any help, but was unable to even stand. As a couple of the firemen were tending to the guy, the girl and I spoke to another to tell them what we saw.
What I got from the friend was that the one that fell had been celebrating since yesterday evening, his birthday I think and well, was basically pass-out-drunk. I think the friend sobered up very fast!
A minute or so later an ambulance arrived but the guy was still refusing any help or aid. The main ambulance driver indicated that as this was called in and the cops were involved he had better just relax and let them check him over. It took them 10 minutes to convince him to have his pulse checked, blood pressure checked and check his eyes for dilation. When the BP results were in they called ahead to one of the hospitals and explained that they were obliged to take him in. All of this again made difficult as the mean was deaf.
The friend was trying to calm him down and you could see he kept telling him that it wasn't his fault, he didn't call 911. The friend was getting upset now too so I just walked over and looked at the guy sitting on the ground and indicated that *I* had made the call, not his friend. He seemed to accept that and allowed the ambulance workers continue to check him out.
I stood back but didn't leave because I was not sure if I'd needed me to give a statement or anything. Just before they drove off in the ambulance the friend walked over to me, reached out to hug and thank me but he reached for and grabbed my arm directly on my new tat that was completed less than an hour before. I held in the nancy school girl scream, because I just couldn't have the guy any more freaked and upset. I hug him back, said I hoped the guy would be ok and wave goodbye.
As I was walking away there was a tear rolling down my face; as much because I felt that I'd done something good when others were simply gawking, and too because the pain emanating from my arm was beyond belief!
I hope the guy is doing ok. I can still see him falling as clear as it was happening as I type this, and all I can think of is Natasha Richardson. I pray he ok.
These are sadly true true words.
After getting my tat today, I was heading home and witnessed a man collapse on Ste-Catherine street as I exited the Metro. He was walking with a friend and simply dropped, and when he hit he really hit. His head bounced; literally bounced off the pavement.
A few others saw this as well but weren't doing anything. So I ran across the street to see if I could help. The friend was trying to lift him to the side of the road as cars were coming. Now I know it's not wise to move a body, but the way they drive in Mtl, we moved him tout suite!
A Girl who was there had her cell and I looked and said, "You've got to call 911!" The guy was falling in and out of consciousness and his face was swelling up before our eyes.
To make things more interesting they were both deaf and the friend could only speak some broken french!
There was a cop car parked in front of a restaurant 1/2 a block a way so I went in to get them as the girl was calling 911.
Just as a first responder fire truck arrived the guy came to and didn't want any help, but was unable to even stand. As a couple of the firemen were tending to the guy, the girl and I spoke to another to tell them what we saw.
What I got from the friend was that the one that fell had been celebrating since yesterday evening, his birthday I think and well, was basically pass-out-drunk. I think the friend sobered up very fast!
A minute or so later an ambulance arrived but the guy was still refusing any help or aid. The main ambulance driver indicated that as this was called in and the cops were involved he had better just relax and let them check him over. It took them 10 minutes to convince him to have his pulse checked, blood pressure checked and check his eyes for dilation. When the BP results were in they called ahead to one of the hospitals and explained that they were obliged to take him in. All of this again made difficult as the mean was deaf.
The friend was trying to calm him down and you could see he kept telling him that it wasn't his fault, he didn't call 911. The friend was getting upset now too so I just walked over and looked at the guy sitting on the ground and indicated that *I* had made the call, not his friend. He seemed to accept that and allowed the ambulance workers continue to check him out.
I stood back but didn't leave because I was not sure if I'd needed me to give a statement or anything. Just before they drove off in the ambulance the friend walked over to me, reached out to hug and thank me but he reached for and grabbed my arm directly on my new tat that was completed less than an hour before. I held in the nancy school girl scream, because I just couldn't have the guy any more freaked and upset. I hug him back, said I hoped the guy would be ok and wave goodbye.
As I was walking away there was a tear rolling down my face; as much because I felt that I'd done something good when others were simply gawking, and too because the pain emanating from my arm was beyond belief!
I hope the guy is doing ok. I can still see him falling as clear as it was happening as I type this, and all I can think of is Natasha Richardson. I pray he ok.
2 comments:
You're a good man, Shawn Ellis.
I had a similar incident in a shopping mall parking lot in Timmins several years ago. A man passed out, and being the first person his wife saw and recognizing me from her job at the bank and mine on TV, she ran over to me, asking for help. Her husband had recently had heart surgery and she was worried that he was dying in front of her.
I ran into the nearest store, asked them to call 911 and ran back out. I got the lady the lawn chair I carried in my car to use at Little Bro Dan's soccer games, but beyond that, all I could do was hold her hand.
Fortunately, a nurse who I had also known since we went to high school together was also in the store, and followed me out. She tended to the man until the paramedics arrived.
As it turned out, it wasn't his heart, but some kind of mild stroke. But the next week, I signed up for CPR training, so that if it ever happens again, I can do more than hold a woman's hand while we watch her husband possibly die.
I've had other experiences trying to help people. When offering my help one time to a blind person exiting a metro station, the person replied "Fuck off, I'm blind not dumb." to which I replied, "Coulda fooled me. and fuck YOU!" I wanted to trip him but well, I'm not a total douche.
Another time me and another person were in a metro car and saw a man coming with two of those short arm crutches (you know, the ones that your lower arm sorta slips into a rest) ...anyway, he was having a helluva time but we could tell he was gonna come into the car even thought the doors were about to close, so we both got up to hold the doors open (something that can get you fined) so that he would get slammed. And we both reached out to stead him and help him in... well apparently at the same moment he was struck apeshit crazy and started whipping those crutches about, hitting both of us and two other people in the metro. At that point we let go of him, for obvious reasons, the doors closed, and the two of us sat back down. As the car jerked outta the station he tumbled like humpty dumpty. When he got back up he demanded my seat. I said he could suck it. I HAD intended to give you my seat but after our trying to help you and being HIT you can sit on the floor!” He mumbled something about being handicapped, and I said, “That’s very apparent and it’s all in your head” I looked around thinking that the other passengers would think I was outta line, but they were all looking at him agreeing with my assessment and no none offered him a seat.
I know life cannot be easy with such impairments and handicaps, but jezuz! If someone is just trying to be nice and offering their help and you don’t want it, just simply say, “Thank you, but I’ll be fine.” Don’t go all Linda Blair on my ass.
Good on you tho BobbyKatz for taking the CPR course. My luck is I'd fine someone that would say, "Don't touch me!"
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