Vacationing firefighter saves snorkeler’s life

Robert Minnick receives a Commander Royal Canadian Navy Commendation presented by Commander Maritime Forces Pacific Rear-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie. The citation reads: On 28 November 2018, Mister Minnick was on the beach on the island of Maui, Hawaii when he noticed a person being dragged to shore and moved to assist. After bringing the unconscious man to shore, he took control of the scene and began administering first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation until first responders arrived. These actions saved the life of the drowning victim. He brought great credit to himself and to the Royal Canadian Navy. Photo by LS Valerie LeClair, MARPAC Imaging Services

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

A firefighter from the base has received official recognition for saving the life of a surfer while on a recent vacation in Hawaii.

On Jan. 24 Rob Minnick of CFB Fire and Rescue was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, Rear-Admiral Rob Auchterlonie, in a ceremony at the Chief and Petty Officers Mess.

The 48-year-old father of two was enjoying a quiet afternoon on scenic Ka’anapali Beach in Maui on the afternoon of Nov. 28 with his wife and two friends from Victoria. He decided to go for a walk along the beach with his wife Tara when they both noticed a commotion on a stretch of nearby beach.

A crowd of people was gathered around an unconscious adult male snorkeler in his early 20s, who was in medical distress. Minnick and his wife rushed to the scene to help.

Two snorkelers had found the victim face-down in the water several metres offshore before pulling him to the beach.

After checking his vital signs Minnick began administering life-saving CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation).

“Matthew had no pulse, he wasn’t breathing and his heart was stopped which essentially means he was going to die shortly,” said Minnick. “I thought there was no way he would survive or at the very least suffer from serious brain damage but thankfully that wasn’t the case.”

When the incident occurred, Minnick was enjoying the final day of a 10-day Hawaiin vacation. He had travelled the islands with his spouse, who works for the Victoria Police Department, and his friend, retired Victoria PD constable Ole Jorgensen and his wife.

He says Tara at his side to offer assistance and advice as he performed CPR was crucial. After checking Matthew’s vital signs, Minnick determined he was not breathing. He says the victim was turning blue which is a sign of cyanosis, increasingly deoxygenated blood levels.

After administering CPR and clearing the victim’s airway, Minnick said “a ton of water was then expectorated from Matthew’s lungs. “It was pouring out through his mouth and lungs as if it was coming through a large funnel.”

After approximately five minutes he says Matthew started breathing, albeit very faintly. That’s about the time that paramedics and police arrived on the scene and rushed him to a nearby hospital.

Matthew had been vacationing in Hawaii and Minnick says he isn’t sure how the drowning occurred. Minnick eventually learned from Matthew’s family that he was put into a drug-induced coma.

Three days after Christmas Minnick received a call from Matthew’s family who had told Minnick that when the hospital contacted them about their son the prognosis was grim. They initially told them to expect to be “ready to donate his organs” if his condition didn’t rapidly improve recounts Minnick.

Ahead of receiving his award Minnick got word that Matthew would make a full recovery and was pleased to receive a heartfelt thank you from Matthew’s father Mitch.

“As a father I was getting emotional and tearing up during the call because I realized how I would have felt if one of my two children who are also roughly the same age were in the same situation,” said Minnick. “The biggest reward was hearing that Mitch had lived through his ordeal and would make a 100 per cent recovery.”

Minnick was quick to downplay suggestions by witnesses at the scene including a retired firefighter and his peers who have all told him he was a “hero” for saving Mitch’s life. The praise has also come from coworkers and his bosses at the fire hall including CFB Esquimalt Fire and Rescue Chief Geordie Douglas.

“Myself and fellow the members of the Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch [POESB] are extremely proud of him,” said Douglas “It is a morale booster for our unit and the rest of the base when one of our guys is recognized for doing something so outstanding while off-duty and away from work and I know many others feel this way too.”

Instead of heroism Minnick chalked his successful actions all up to training he has learned on the job after over 16 years as a firefighter at the base and 12 previous years of volunteer service in Langford.

“You are always nervous in an incident like this but the training you learn as a first responder is definitely crucial,” said Minnick. “The training takes over and you start performing all the steps without really realizing it and in this case saved a young man’s life.”