February 17, 2010
Just before the Olympic medals were awarded on Sunday night, BC Place was host to another, more personal honour ceremony. Two young men from Surrey received Vital Link awards for courage under fire - and for saving a father's life.
Eleven-year-old Cameron Cowles came home from school on September 14 to find his dad Joe Walsh unconscious, moments away from going into cardiac arrest. He immediately ran to the basement to fetch the family's tenant, 18-year-old Evan Einarson, who holds an industrial first aid certificate.
The two ran upstairs and dialled 911. Paramedic chief Andrew Billing remembers working the night his team received the call.
"They called us immediately, followed our instructions and both performed CPR on Joe while waiting for the ambulance to arrive," Billing said. "They were both awesome, just awesome. They're brave men."
Soon, paramedics showed up and the boys were relieved from duty. The boys did their part, but Walsh's heart had stopped. It took four shocks with the defibrillator to get it pumping again, and he spent the next four days in the hospital on life support. But three weeks later, Walsh was released from hospital and on the road to full recovery - which Billing credits to Cowles and Einarson's bravery and speed.
The boys received their awards at 5:30 p.m., along with free tickets to the Olympic Victory Ceremony.
