US residents visiting BC jump into action to save drowning man

North Vancouver assistant fire chief Jeremy Duncan says the outcome would have been a lot different if a group of Americans hadn’t jumped into action to save a drowning man.

The incident happened at Twin Falls in North Vancouver on Monday afternoon, where Brian Laverentz and his wife were enjoying some time in nature while on their honeymoon.

That’s when the couple spotted a man in trouble in the frigid water, but as Laverentz assessed the situation, it was another American who leaped into the water to save the unconscious man.

He turned out to be a lifeguard visiting from Chicago with his family and with the help of Laverentz, the two American hauled the 24-year-old victim to shore.

They began performing chest compressions with the assistance of the Chicago man’s daughter, a competitive swimmer, and managed to revive the victim by the time emergency crews arrived.

Duncan praised the quick thinking and heroic actions of the tourists and said he wishes the Chicago family had left their contact information so they could have been properly thanked.

Laverentz said it was lucky that a group of strangers with specific skills was nearby at the right time.

"I just thought it was also serendipitous that we had a lifeguard father, a competitive swimmer daughter, who also knew CPR, me (with) about 10 years of emergency medicine experience, my wife who has lived around people in the medical field forever and helped direct a bunch of people," says Laverentz.

The victim was taken to hospital for further treatment, but Laverentz said he was talking and able to provide his name by the time park rangers arrived.

With files from the Canadian Press.