Ski patrol in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. recognized for live-saving actions last season

Four ski patrol members at the Searchmont Resort in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. were awarded the John D. Harper Lifesaving Award for saving a person's life last season.

Nancy Askin leads the team, and said they were proud to receive the recognition.

"But more so than that, we are extremely happy for our patient to know that there's a positive outcome in this event and that the patient can get back to the pretty normal life that they had before," she said.

Askin could not provide complete details as to what happened, but said she received a call that a patient was in distress on the ski hill.

Ski patrol member Jason Willet was at the top of the ski lift when the call came in, and was the first person to respond. Team member Hilary Prouse joined him shortly after.

"Jason then informed me that an ambulance would be necessary and to log in transportation and we needed to move very, very quickly in order to save this patient," Askin said.

Paul Hendrie, a team member and paramedic who was off duty at the time, happened to be on the ski hill and was able to help stabilize the person before the ambulance arrived.

"I drove the toboggan to the scene," Askin said.

"It was a quick assessment. Quick stabilization got the patient into the toboggan, the very quick evacuation off the hill down to the patrol room where we awaited the ambulance that had already been called."

Askin said situations like that one are rare at Searchmont, but ski patrol members receive extensive first aid training, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).