Sylvie Paillard
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The Brennan Park Recreation Centre was the site of a tragedy Friday (March 17).
During a minor league hockey game Friday evening, a Ridge Meadow woman collapsed in the ice arena stands. Centre staff immediately sought out lifeguard staff and head lifeguard Linda Barry attended to the woman who had apparently suffered an aneurysm.
"Our lifeguard staff responded and ended up administering CPR for I think 8 to 10 minutes," said Janet Gugin, general supervisor recreation services.
It's the second time in two years Barry has been in a position to jump in during an emergency. Barry tended to the victim of a car accident at Britannia Beach a few years ago when a car careened off the highway and into the water. That victim survived.Although the collapsed woman left the Brennan Park facility alive, she soon died in hospital. The lifeguard staff was praised nonetheless for their quick and professional response, according to Bob Kusch, director of recreation, parks and tourism. "Our staff responded beautifully," he said. "We've received nothing but compliments about the way our lifeguard came across and brought oxygen and gave mouth to mouth resuscitation and responded very, very well."
It's not the first time there's been a medical emergency at Brennan Park, but it is the first death the facility's staff has experienced in the 14 years it has been servicing the public.
"Our staff are very well trained and as in all facilities they're trained in prevention rather than response," said Gugin. "Over the years they've done an excellent job in preventing and educating the public on safety. We've been in the situation where we've certainly had serious ambulance calls to our facility. We've never had to deal with something where there was a death as the end result."
Barry and the rest of the staff were "in shock" over the death, said Gugin, and went through a debriefing on Thursday (March 23).
