It may have been a stroke of luck or fate that brought a group of strangers together, but it ended up being a life-saving encounter.
Heinz Baade was on the CTrain at the Calgary City Hall stop when he collapsed on Oct. 30. The 85-year-old suffered a severe heart episode and had no pulse.
Two peace officers on shift, Tom Alexander and Harpreet Gosal, were on their routine patrol when they got the call about a passenger in medical distress. They immediately started CPR in a desperate attempt to revive Baadehim.
“He was on the floor of the train, unresponsive. We weren’t able to find a pulse,” Alexander said.
Both Alexander and Gosal worked together on Baade until paramedics arrived and rushed him to hospital, where he is still recovering.
The three got a chance to reunite on Friday.
“Maybe it’s a second chance. Somebody was looking out for me,” Baade said.
“As far as I’m concerned, they saved my life.”
Baade’s daughter Stephanie Chabeniuk said she’s grateful for what the officers did.
“I have strong faith and believe God was working in mysterious ways. I think God wasn’t ready for my dad to come up there,” Chabeniuk said.
“My dad has a lot more living to do.”
The peace officers said they were just “doing their job.”
“It’s very humbling,” Alexander said. “Every day we put on a uniform representing the City of Calgary and I take it as an honour to have them recognize us.”
“He’s the same age as my father,” Gosal said. “When I see the outcome, I am thrilled and happy for him and his family for the positive outcome.”
Baade may need open-heart surgery in the days to come but he and his family are holding onto hope he makes a full recovery.