Achi news desk-
John Guinan, as he has done many times in his life, hit the ice and started skating. He was moving around the net when, without warning, he was plunged into the darkness and hit the ground, and woke up looking at the paramedics who saved his life.
“I went into cardiac arrest,” said Guinan, who is from Truro, NS “There was no sensation as such, things went black. It was like a lamp being unplugged.”
Nigel Leggett and Greg Whalen were the two paramedics who jumped into action to save Guinan’s life on the ice on March 7.
“We rolled him over and got his hockey gear out of the way,” Leggett said. “You could tell by the color… it had left us then. Greg came back with the AED (automated external defibrillator) and the shock went away and probably within 90 seconds John was talking to us.”
Whalen said last July a player left the bench saying he didn’t feel well and was taken to the hospital shortly after suffering a heart attack. Whalen took the initiative to establish First Aid protocols on the bench.
“When Johnny had his incident, I think that protocol helped save his life,” Whalen said.
Guinan is extremely grateful to the people who helped to save him and hopes that by sharing the story, it will benefit others.
“I owe these guys, it’s a debt I’ll never be able to repay,” he said. “My hope is that we can turn this (into something) for the benefit of all.
“The most sincere, heartfelt thanks I can muster.”
