
UPDATE 8:45 p.m.
The person in medical distress at the Burger King in Kelowna on Wednesday has reached out to Castanet to thank the people who helped save his life.
A relative saw the story on Castanet and reached out to let us know that his name is Kirk Hanes and he is feeling well enough to reach out and thank those who helped him in his time of need.
"For the Good Samaritans that helped my uncle in Burger King. His name is Kirk Hanes and he wanted me to send a message that he was able to type up," says Hanes' niece, Katie Moore.
"I'm grateful to be alive thanks to Jesus and the other Good Samaritan who jumped into action and did CPR on me until the paramedics arrived, or I wouldn't be here today. So if you know Jesus and the employee give them a pat on the back for me and tell them good job. I will be forever grateful for (their) heroism. Just not my time I guess," Hanes says.
ORIGINAL 5:02 p.m.
A Kelowna man is being hailed a hero after he jumped into action to help a man who suffered a medical incident at the Burger King on Harvey Ave. this week.
The incident happened Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 21 at the Burger King on Harvey Avenue and Cooper Road.
Peter Weber tells Castanet his roommate Jesus Flores was having lunch in the restaurant Wednesday afternoon when a couple came in to order food.
Flores says while the woman waited in line to order, the man she was with started struggling with his breathing and laid down on one of the benches.
Flores saw the man in distress and immediately lifted him off the bench onto the floor and began trying to help.
"Flores and a Burger King staff member worked feverishly to open an airway and provide CPR to a man who went into insulin shock. Paramedics did arrive, but without the actions of the two heroes, he likely would not have survived," Weber says.
Castanet has learned the Burger King employee who jumped into action is Macki Uchida, "she helped a lot," says Flores.
Flores and Uchida didn't even speak to each other they just went to work trying to keep the man breathing while someone else called 911.
Before paramedics arrived Flores had to prevent the man from swallowing his tongue.
Once paramedics arrived they managed to stabilize the patient and before they left they thanked Flores and Uchida who they said may have helped save a life.
"Good job. If you hadn't done what you did. This man would have died," Flores says.
Flores, says he got his CPR training in Mexico, where he is originally from but he didn't stop to think he just dove into action trying to help.
"I didn't think about it, I just tried to help. My first reaction was to help," Flores says.
He's also worried about the man he tried to help who was breathing and coming around when paramedics took him away.
"I would like to know if this guy is okay," Flores says.