It was no game when Lennox Davies used CPR to save his friend’s life after a night of playing video games in New West last fall.
B.C. Emergency Health Services presented a Vital Link Award to Davies on July 4 to recognize him for using CPR to help save the life of his good friend, Oliver Richmond. BCEHS said the two longtime friends were at Richmond’s place In New West on Oct. 21, 2022, where they were playing late-night video games.
“After playing a few rounds of FIFA, they decided to wind down in the early hours of the next morning watching a movie on TV,” said a BCEHS news release. “That was when Oliver went into cardiac arrest.”
According to the release, Richmond had jumped on the bed, and Davies thought his friend had hit his head because he heard a thump.
“When Lennox turned around, he found Oliver making a strange ‘cartoon-like”’ snoring sound. Concerned at the unusual sound, Lennox tried waking Oliver up and getting him to respond. When he did not get any response, Lennox quickly realized something was very wrong,” said the news release. “He lowered Oliver onto the floor and called 911 for an ambulance.”
According to BC Emergency Health Services, Davies followed the instructions of the BCEHS emergency medical call-taker and provided CPR until first responders arrived. Paramedics cared for and transported Richmond to hospital, where he made a full recovery.
“Lennox learned CPR from avalanche training, but this was the first time he had ever used CPR in real-life situation,” said the news release.
Davies and Richmond, both 18 at the time of the incident, now live in Pemberton, where the Vital Link Award presentation took place Tuesday.
