Junior hockey player with suspected head injury waits immobilized on ice rink for ambulance for nearly an hour

This story is part of Situation Critical, a series from CBC British Columbia reporting on the barriers people in this province face in accessing timely and appropriate health care.

A junior hockey player with a suspected head injury waited almost an hour on the ice at a Prince George, B.C., arena before an ambulance responded to a 911 call, according to the general manager of the Prince George Spruce Kings. 

"He's lying on the cold ice, and at that point, you know, the [hockey staff] were starting to get a little bit concerned about hypothermia as well as what could be another injury," Mike Hawes told CBC News.

Hawes said paramedics finally arrived at the Kopar Memorial Arena about 50 minutes later after the game's announcer drove to the University Hospital of Northern B.C. and asked paramedics at the ambulance emergency bay for help. 

It happened Saturday night, during a game between the B.C. Hockey League's Vernon Vipers and the Prince George Spruce Kings.

Due to a medical situation on-ice, both teams and the BCHL have decided to end tonight’s game. <br><br>Our thoughts are with Will Blackburn and the Vernon Vipers family at this time.

Shortly before the end of the third period, a 19-year-old player from Vernon, identified by hockey officials as Will Blackburn, fell into the boards and appeared to hit his head.

The arena's first aid attendant, as well as the teams' trainers and athletic therapists, tended to the player on the ice, and officials called 911. 

"The player was conscious, but they just wanted to make sure [he wasn't seriously injured]," said Hawes. 

With the player's spine immobilized but no paramedics in sight, Hawes said repeated calls were made to 911 to see where the ambulance was. 

"Actually, a couple