Alberta wildfire evacuee thanks man who saved him when he was choking on water
A man from Drayton Valley, Alta. is publicly thanking a swimming instructor who helped him when he was choking on water at a hotel pool.
“I couldn’t breathe. So then I went to the edge and tried to bring myself out,” Cody Blackmore told CTV News Edmonton.
He and his family were evacuated from his hometown in May because of an out-of-control wildfire.
They wanted a fun evening so they booked themselves a room at the Sandman Hotel in Edmonton on the 14th. That's when his girls encouraged him to go down the water slide
"I probably shouldn’t have. I rocket myself down, so I started going down too fast. And then as soon as I hit the water, it goes in my nose," he explained.
"And it forced me to open my mouth underwater. Probably wasn't the best idea."
That's when panic set in.
"I hop out, I'm trying to make myself, like, gag or get the water out. It wasn't working…and then I look over and I see a bunch of red shirts and to me that was lifeguards," Blackmore said.
Swim instructor Ethan Lenz was in the middle of a swimming lesson when he noticed Blackmore.
"I turned around and I saw Cody just as he was hopping out of the water," Lenz recalled.
"At that point, I saw him put his hands to his throat, a national sign for choking. Didn't really see anyone doing anything at that point and so I figured I got to step into action here."
"Superman here, he jumps out of the pool, like, launched and as soon as he seen me, he knew. He grabbed me, gave me the Heimlich [manoeuvre] a good few pumps there and then out the water came," Blackmore said.
Lenz has only been a swim instructor for about eight months but his boss says she was not surprised to hear of his heroic efforts.
"We've had a lot of great testimonies and feedback from these parents so this one was just like, how much better does this get? Like this was just amazing. It was just so moving," said Judith Mbeleke, the owner of British Swim School East.
Experts say if you're choking on water, try to cough it up.
If you're helping someone who is choking, strike them on the back to try to clear their airway and then call 911.
As for Lenz and Blackmore, they plan on going for a drink and keeping up with one another.
"I don't know what would've happened if there wasn't anyone there so just very, very happy," Lenz said.
"It's cliché but not all heroes wear capes. He was wearing red that day," Blackmore said.
The evacuation order in Drayton Valley was lifted on May 16.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.