Kelowna Rocket Ty Hurley nominated for WHL humanitarian award

Hurley gets nomination

Photo: Steve Dunsmoor-file

Kelowna Rockets forward Ty Hurley is one of four players nominated for the Western Hockey League's humanitarian of the year.

Hurley is the nominee from the BC Division.

He joins Shane Smith of the Medicine Hat Tigers (Central Division), Evan Gardner from the Saskatoon Blades (Eastern Division) and Tyler Palmer of the Everett Silvertips (US Division).

Hurley used his training in CPR to help save a man in distress in a pool at a hotel in Strathmore, Alta. in December of last year.

He pulled the man out of the pool and began performing life-saving CPR until paramedics arrived.

“I took off my shirt and leaned over the edge (of the pool) and grabbed him by his shoulders and ripped him out of the water,” Hurley recalled after the fact.

“He was probably under there for at least 30-40 seconds. I got him out of there, flipped him on his back and he wasn’t breathing at all. It was pretty scary.”

His efforts earned him the Silver Medal of Merit and the M.G. Griffiths Award by the Lifesaving Society, B.C. and Yukon.

League winners will be announced May 2.