On June 25, Chris Hinsperger and his wife Val, centre, thanked the County of Renfrew Paramedics who provided care after he experienced cardiac arrest earlier this spring. Paramedics (from left) Matt Stanfield, Joe Hamilton, Eric Martel, and Martin Hendrix were presented with Save Certificates and Pins from Mr. Hinsperger. County of Renfrew photo
An Eganville man is thanking Renfrew County Paramedic Services for their fast response that he says is the reason he’s still alive to tell his tale today.
On May 8th, Chris Hinsperger – the owner of the popular Bonnechere Caves tourist attraction, called 911 with chest pains while outside. During the phone call, Hinsperger went into cardiac arrest and passed out.
Hinsperger has operated the Bonnechere Caves with his wife for over 30 years.
He says it’s hard to walk people through the specifics of what happened to him in the moment because he doesn’t remember much of it.
Hinsperger was transported immediately to the Ottawa Heart Institute, where he eventually made a full recovery.
Nearly two months later, on June 25th, Hinsperger and his wife got a chance to meet with the four paramedics that saved his life – Joe Hamilton, Eric Martel, Matt Stanfield and Martin Hendrix. Hinsperger also presented the four with pins and certificates commemorating the rescue.
While he doesn’t want to dismiss that there are steps residents can take to protect their own health through their lifestyle, Hinsperger wants people to know they can trust the Renfrew County Paramedic Service in the event of an emergency.
In the wake of the incident, Hinsperger is also urging property managers and business owners to add automated external defibrillators to their spaces so that paramedics can use them in the event of an emergency like what he went through.
Now that Hinsperger has recovered, he’s looking forward to many more years operating the Bonnechere Caves with his wife.
(Steve Berard)
