B.C. runner’s death spurs plea for first-aid training

The death of a man who suffered a medical emergency while running on a trail in Richmond, B.C., earlier this month has spurred a plea for more people to receive first-aid training.

The Richmond News reports that on June 6, Terra Nova resident Kris Hori spotted a runner—who looked to be in his 50s and in good physical fitness—starting to fall backward just ahead of him as they were on the West Dyke Trail.

After catching up to the collapsed man and seeing that he was suffering from a medical emergency, Hori sought help from others on the trail, but was astonished to see several passersby simply walk around the injured man and continue on their way. Hori then tried to flag down help on a nearby roadway, stopping a driver who had a first-aid kit in his car, who joined Hori in tending to the runner. Both tried to keep the man alive with help from a 911 operator until paramedics arrived about 10 minutes later, but the runner—who hasn’t been publicly identified—couldn’t be revived.

Hori recounted the ordeal to his mother, Kathy Hori, later that afternoon. “He was frustrated that he couldn’t really help and didn’t know what to do,” she told the Richmond News. “I told him he did all that he knew. The best thing he could have done was find someone who could help, and he did that.” But she added her son has pledged to seek out first-aid training to better equip himself to help others, should he ever find himself in a similar situation. The family has urged others to do the same. “Our message is, please help if you see someone in distress, and go and take a first aid course,” she said. “You might save someone’s life.” 

In Canada, 50% of people say they’re not confident in their first aid skills. The Canadian Red Cross First Aid app puts lifesaving advice in your hands. Build up your life- saving knowledge by downloading it now free at ➡️ https://t.co/Tl2uqLMpLG pic.twitter.com/ka2GjazzFB

— Red Cross SK (@RedCrossSK) March 10, 2022

Training in first aid can be both a life-saver for runners and an important tool they can use to help others in distress. Considering the number of people runners come into contact with while covering kilometres in public spaces, the reach of Canada’s running community makes runners particularly good candidates for training in first aid and CPR.

The Canadian Red Cross is among several agencies that offer different levels of first-aid certification. The agency also offers a free app that gives users step-by-step instructions to guide users through common first-aid scenarios.