Perfect timing leads medical student to Regina man in need

James Hill has some pretty good timing.

As he was driving home with his wife and kids last month in north Regina, he noticed a vehicle pulled over, with people gathering around a man on the ground.

The man was Leo Tousignant, who had suffered a severe medical episode. Hill was among those who stopped to give him CPR while waiting for EMS to arrive, taking over from another man who had arrived before him.

Hill happens to be a medical student and had taken a refresher course on the life-saving act a few months ago. He said it was the first time he had been called upon to actually do it.

He described the situation as “crazy.”

“His life could have gone entirely different if there weren’t people who had pulled over and stopped to help,” Hill said.

It didn’t take long for help to arrive — about three minutes, he recalled. As emergency workers tried to revive Tousignant, Hill left wondering how the story would end.

“It was tough going home, because I didn’t know what actually happened to him. You don’t want to think the worst but I was just kind of praying that he was going to be OK,” he said.

He learned that the 68-year-old Tousignant survived and is recovering after being tracked down through Facebook by Lisa Bernhardt, daughter of Leo and Mary.

The whole experience has Hill convinced that he’s on the right career path.

“It’s a lot of studying and a lot of stress, and I’m really busy all the time so I don’t get a taste for the effects that I can actually have on people’s lives with what I’m going to be doing in the future,” Hill said.

“I don’t think it was a coincidence. I think there was someone out there looking out for Leo that day.”

EDITOR’S NOTE — This is a corrected version of the story. Leo Tousignant was the man involved in the incident.