B.C. siblings presented with award for saving father’s life

A ceremony was held Wednesday to honour the bravery of three siblings who helped save their dad's life.

Three Langley, B.C., siblings received an award Wednesday for helping to save their father’s life.

Nicholas Savkovic was sitting in the family’s living room last September when he began feeling chest pains, and called his 23-year-old son Sava for help.

Sava immediately knew something was wrong.

“He said he felt off, he asked me to check his pulse,” Sava said. “Something was not right.”

That’s when Nicholas lost consciousness. Sava then called for his two older sisters, Nina and Sofia, who phoned 911.

“I felt like this was going to be our story where... our dad dies,” said Nina, reflecting back on that emotional day.

But instead, Sava jumped into action – using the life-saving CPR training he received through his job with the City of Coquitlam.

“I just knew I had to put the training that I learned to use. I knew if I don’t, that I might lose my father,” he said.

Despite worrying about his father, Sava said he managed to stay “pretty calm” while performing CPR.

“I’m surprised I was able to do it kind of without hesitation, it’s almost like my body went into autopilot,” he said.

“My brother was just like on top of everything that needed to be done in the moment,” Nina added. “Obviously we were on the phone but he was just locked in and taking the instruction properly.”

When paramedics arrived, they were able to resuscitate their father and rush him to hospital.

Four months later, the family was able to see the paramedics who helped save Nicholas’s life, face to face.

“The memories are flooding back,” Sofia said. “It’s nice to see everyone because in that moment, everything was so uncertain.”

“It is a good reminder of why we do it,” said Lindzi De Reus, one of the paramedics who attended the scene. ” We don’t usually get to see good outcomes like this once we drop them off at hospital. That’s usually the end of it.”

The paramedics presented the three siblings with a Vital Link Award from B.C. Emergency Health Services, which are given out to people involved in saving a life using CPR.

“I’m still alive,” said Nicholas. “It’s so good to see these people who (were) working … everyone is part of the team – without this teamwork, no life for me or for other people who need this help.”