A tugboat called to the scene of an accident in Sorel-Tracy could have been one of the victims after suffering a heart attack on the spot, had it not been for the rapid intervention of a police officer who saved his life and he was able to thank in person recently.
“Without him, I wouldn’t be here!” says Pierre Brazeau, overflowing with gratitude.
On December 18, almost a year after the events, Mr. Brazeau was finally able to thank in person the man who saved his life during a warm meeting at his workplace, at which The Journal attended.
On January 30, the 53-year-old tugboat was called to come and move cars that had been involved in a collision near the intersection of Route 132 and Rang Sud, around 6:45 a.m. Fortunately, the event did not cause any serious injuries.
SQ police officer Raphaël Marquis was on his second such rescue in his young career.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
As the accident ultimately turned out to be minor, agent Raphaël Marquis, of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), came to relieve his colleagues Félix Florant and Charles-Antoine Cavanagh during the shift change to close the case.
“Barely two minutes after they left, people started shouting at me to get my attention. That’s when I saw Mr. Brazeau lying on the ground. He had no pulse,” says Mr. Marquis.
In the right place
The police officer quickly signaled his colleagues to return with a defibrillator and requested an ambulance while he carried out resuscitation maneuvers.
After dozens of compressions, then the use of the police defibrillator and that of the paramedics, the fifty-year-old’s heart finally started beating again.
“It was a relief to see him come back to his senses,” relates the 25-year-old police officer who is on his second resuscitation in four years on the job.
Pierre Brazeau had no after-effects following his heart attack.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Initially, Mr. Brazeau had to tow the vehicle into a private yard. But as more hands were needed at the scene of the accident, he was redirected there.
“I was so glad I moved it, it was the right place to have a heart attack. He was surrounded by first responders and witnesses!”, underlines Isabelle Lamarche, owner of the company for which Mr. Brazeau works.
Homecoming
The tugman explains that it was four blocked arteries that led to his heart attack. However, he was not known to have any health problems.
“It took me three days to realize it, but I was dead, dead! Thanks to the speed of intervention, I had no after-effects. It’s as if I had slept,” he says, laughing.
The two men were able to see each other again for the first time since the event, on December 18.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
“The people of Sorel are safe with a police officer like [M. Marquis]!”, the man concludes.
What they said
“He begged me to give him work three days after his accident. I had to remind him that he had just escaped death!”
→ Isabelle Lamarche, owner of Remorquage Sorel-Tracy
“If he hadn’t been there, how long would I have stayed there? He saved my life.”
→ Pierre Brazeau, tugboat
“I only did my job. It was exactly how we learn in our training.”
→ Raphaël Marquis, Sûreté du Québec police officer
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