A father of two in North Vancouver is being hailed as a hero for helping a man in medial distress on a local ferry.
Brian Counihan was heading home with his family on April 12 on the SeaBus when he noticed a man needing medical assistance.
"A friend that was with him basically asked for help, at which time I came over and we laid him down onto the ground," he said.
Counihan said he learned CPR in the past but had never had to perform it. Still, he jumped in and started performing CPR on the man until the ferry arrived at the docks and paramedics could take over. When paramedics told him they no longer needed his help, he quietly left the scene.
"I'm not very aware of the time or how long everything took or even what else happened around me," he told reporters on Friday. "I was in a bit of shock, I think.”
A week later, Counihan called the RCMP for an update on the man’s condition and found out he had fully recovered from the incident.
"I'm just happy, above all, that the gentleman survived and will be OK," Counihan said. "Knowing that what I did helped is obviously a good thing."
During a news conference on Friday, Cpl. Richard De Jong with North Vancouver RCMP called Counihan's actions “selfless" and "heroic.
Gerald Simkus, a heart doctor at the Royal Columbian Hospital, said a person in medical distress has twice the chance of surviving if someone nearby knows proper CPR and jumps into action.
"Things like early bystander CPR improve things tremendously and early defibrillation does as well," he said.
TransLink, the owners of the SeaBus, are reviewing the incident.
Counihan said he’s glad he could help but calls the real heroes of the nights the paramedics.
"I was just happy I could contribute."
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Maria Weisgarber
