Vernon Matters file photo

By Liam Verster

Vital Link Award

Vernon man recognized for life-saving efforts

Dec 1, 2022 | 11:10 AM

A Vernon man will be presented with an award for his quick actions to save the life of a recreational hockey player.

On February 21, 2020, Jonny Rockall, a City of Vernon employee, was working at Kal Tire Place when 60-year-old Al Winther collapsed on the bench before getting on the ice to play hockey.

Rockall rushed over to Winther, who was unconscious, and even though he had been trained in CPR as a volunteer firefighter, he had never had the need to apply it to a real-life situation.

Rockall recognized that Winther was in cardiac arrest, and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) brought to him by other players and continued to do CPR.

Other players called 911 as soon as Winther collapsed, and paramedics and firefighters soon arrived on the scene.

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Winther was transported to hospital and later transferred to Kelowna General hospital. He now has a defibrillator implanted in his chest.

B.C. Emergency Health Services says, since the incident, Rockall and Winther have become friends and regularly stay in touch.

To honour Rockall’s efforts to save Winther’s life, B.C. Emergency Health Services will present him with the Vital Link Award at a ceremony at Kal Tire Place at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2.