Guelph police officer credited with saving man’s life

Guelph police say an officer saved a man’s life on Tuesday morning after responding to an industrial accident in the city’s north end.

Const. Michael Braga was the first to arrive at a business near Curtis Drive and Regal Road where a worker was bleeding profusely, police said in a news release.

The 49-year-old man from Cambridge was using a saw when it slipped and cut his arm.

Braga, an officer with the traffic unit, was already in the area when paramedics were called for assistance and decided to respond as well.

The injured man was in a locker room, applying pressure to the wound when Braga arrived and he immediately could tell the man severed an artery.

“The male appeared pale and possibly in shock,” police said.

The officer quickly applied a tourniquet to the man’s bicep which slowed the bleeding. Paramedics arrived soon after to transport the man to hospital where he underwent surgery.

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The matter is under investigation by the Ministry of Labour.

According to police, an investigator with the ministry said the officer’s quick action and correct use of the tourniquet helped saved the man’s life.

“I’m glad things turned out in a positive light,” Const. Braga said. “I’m sure anyone else working for GPS would have done the same thing I did.”

He also credited the dispatchers for relaying the right information to him which helped him be prepared when he arrived at the scene.