Grateful Winnipeg Man Thanks Strangers Who Saved His Life with CPR

Mark Smith believes he received the greatest gift imaginable—more time. Just days before Christmas in 2015, the 62-year-old Winnipeg man collapsed while out for a routine jog along Wellington Crescent. His heart suddenly stopped beating, and without immediate help, the outcome could have been fatal.

What happened next is a powerful reminder of how lifesaving CPR training can be.

A Collapse That Could Have Been Tragic

On the evening of December 6, 2015, Smith lost consciousness and stopped breathing on a public sidewalk. Across the street, teacher Jaime Boulerice noticed something was wrong.

“I looked across the street and said, ‘Is that a rock or is that a man?’” she later recalled.

Boulerice and her friend Liz Morales rushed to Smith’s side and quickly realized he was not breathing. They helped lower him safely to the ground while another passerby immediately began chest compressions. At the same time, a second Good Samaritan called 911.

For approximately 10 minutes, CPR was performed—critical minutes that kept blood flowing to Smith’s brain and vital organs until paramedics arrived.

The Chain of Survival in Action

When emergency responders reached the scene, Smith had to be defibrillated on the sidewalk and again in the ambulance. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors later performed triple bypass surgery. To protect his brain from oxygen deprivation, his body temperature was lowered as part of advanced post-cardiac arrest care.

Five days later, Smith woke up in a hospital room with no memory of what had happened—only that he had gone out for a run and never made it home.

While recovering in cardiac intensive care, paramedics told Smith’s wife that someone had performed CPR on her husband for several minutes before they arrived. That early intervention, Smith later learned, was the difference between life and death.

Less than eight per cent of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive. Smith knows how close he came to becoming one of those statistics.

“I was hanging on by a thread,” he said. “Without this angel, I was gone.”

Meeting the People Who Saved Him

Nearly a year later, Smith finally had the opportunity to meet two of the people who helped save his life. Speaking on CBC Manitoba’s Information Radio, he expressed deep gratitude for everyone involved—from the bystanders who acted without hesitation to the paramedics and hospital staff who continued the chain of care.

Boulerice and Morales had spent an entire year wondering what had happened to the man they helped.

“There were so many times we wondered, ‘Did he make it?’” Boulerice said.

That answer finally came when Smith was able to thank them in person.

This story was originally reported by CBC News. You can read the full original article here:
👉 Grateful Winnipeg man thanks strangers who helped save his life

A Life Changed Forever

Smith has since made a full recovery, with no permanent heart damage. After five months of rehabilitation, he returned to his work as a researcher in epidemiology at the University of Manitoba. While he is back to his regular routines, he says his perspective on life has permanently changed.

Months later, Smith opened his RunKeeper app and discovered it had tracked his nearly fatal run—showing where he collapsed, how long he remained on the ground, and the route to the hospital in the ambulance.

Seeing it was overwhelming.

“I wish the app could record sound,” he said. “I would love to hear the voice of the person who saved my life.”

Why CPR Training Matters

This story is a powerful example of why CPR training is so important. The people who helped Mark Smith were not doctors—they were everyday individuals who recognized an emergency and acted immediately.

CPR gives you the Confidence and skills to respond when every second counts. High-quality CPR and AED training prepares you to take action before emergency responders arrive and can dramatically improve survival outcomes.

Learn How You Can Help Save a Life

Enroll in a CPR and AED course and be prepared to make a difference in an emergency. The skills you learn today could help save a life tomorrow—at home, at work, or in your community.

For more information about CPR and first aid, visit these trusted resources:

About The Author

Mark Kascha

Certified First Aid Instructor Trainer with 30+ years of real-world experience, including lifeguarding, workplace emergency response, and first aid program development across Canada. Has worked with WorkSafeBC, WSIB, and Manitoba Health.

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Last reviewed: March 2026

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