Photo: Contributed

Carson (left) and Benni (right) will be honoured with BC EHS award, Thursday

A pair of young Vernon hockey players will be honoured Thursday for helping a man having a medical emergency.

Jesse Wunderlich is a parent and on the board for Greater Vernon Minor Hockey. He says 12-year-old boys Carson and Benji were fundraising for their team when a man went into medical distress, adding he wants to bring attention to the boys' actions.

“They were out selling Purdy's chocolates for their hockey team, and when they knocked on one of the doors, a homeowner answered, and then had a medical emergency and became unresponsive and fell down,” Wunderlich said.

“They ran next door, got an adult, [and] called 911. Then, along with the adult, spent the time with the person until the ambulance had arrived. And then that person was safe, was able to regain consciousness.”

The boys are being presented with a BC EHS Good Samaritan award ahead of their practice Thursday evening. Carson and Benji will receive the award at about 6:30 p.m. at Priest Valley Arena in Vernon.

Wunderlich says there’s not a lot of room in the arena, but wants to draw attention to the good these boys did.

“We're trying to get as many people, including the whole hockey community, out to support them and encourage this kind of behaviour from hockey players as opposed to the other stuff that's in the news all the time."

According to the BC EHS website, the Good Samaritan Award is “presented to individuals who have provided unselfish and humanitarian assistance during a medical emergency."