Local Heroes Honoured After Saving Woman’s Life at Carbonear Walmart
Erin Hodder never imagined she would one day use her CPR training outside of her work as a pharmacist. Like many in her profession, she completed the training because it was required to administer injections. What she didn’t expect was that the skills she learned in a classroom would later help save a woman’s life.
But last July, at the Carbonear Walmart where she worked, Hodder found herself in the middle of a real emergency—one she would never forget.
You can read the original news report here:
👉 C.B.N. residents honoured for performing CPR on woman in Carbonear
A Sudden Collapse Inside the Store
While working her shift, Hodder heard a commotion in the store. A woman had suddenly collapsed, falling hard to the floor. At that same moment, another trained responder happened to be walking past the pharmacy: Harbour Grace firefighter and long-time first aid instructor Paul Snow.
Snow, who was shopping with his wife, immediately stepped in after hearing calls for help. As he reached the woman, another bystander was already kneeling beside her.
“I asked them to go call an ambulance,” Snow recalled. “I tried to see what happened—there were no tipped shelves, nothing around her. When I got down and checked, she was bleeding.”
What happened next was a stroke of life-saving luck.
Snow has over 30 years of first aid teaching experience and is in his 38th year with the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade. He has performed CPR countless times over his career—so many, he says, that he’s lost track.
Working Together to Save a Life
With no pulse and only shallow breathing, the situation grew urgent. Snow and Hodder immediately began CPR:
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Snow performed chest compressions
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Hodder provided rescue breaths
The pair worked in perfect coordination, maintaining compressions and breaths until paramedics arrived and transported the woman to Carbonear General Hospital.
“It felt like a short time because the ambulance was really quick,” Snow said. “But she still wasn’t breathing when they arrived.”
The Outcome They Hoped For
Thanks to privacy laws, many first aid responders never learn what happens after a patient is taken to the hospital. But this time, there was good news.
A relative of the woman, who knew Snow personally, contacted him the next day.
The woman was awake, sitting up, and asking for a meal.
When Snow stopped by the Walmart pharmacy to share the update, Hodder felt an immediate sense of relief.
“It was a hard couple of days for me,” Hodder said. “I had no idea what the outcome was. I’m just so glad she’s OK.”
Recognized for Their Lifesaving Response
On May 25, both Hodder and Snow were honoured with the St. John Ambulance Life-Saving Award at a ceremony in St. John’s. The award recognizes individuals whose trained, decisive actions directly contributed to saving a life.
Hodder credits her CPR instructor, Wayne Young of the Canadian Red Cross, for preparing her well. She also expressed deep appreciation for Snow’s calm presence during the crisis.
“He was fabulous,” she said. “He was so calm and so together.”
As an instructor, Snow often meets former students who share stories of how their training made a difference. Those moments, he says, are reminders of why first aid education matters.
“It’s pretty cool when that happens,” he said. “You know you’ve done something that helped somebody in a crisis.”
The Importance of CPR Training for Everyone
Both Hodder and Snow strongly believe that CPR and first aid training are skills every person should have. Emergencies can happen anywhere—at work, at home, or even in a store on an ordinary day.
Their experience underscores why learning CPR matters and how it can save lives long before an ambulance arrives.
👉 If you want to learn CPR and feel confident responding in emergencies, consider enrolling in a certified CPR & AED course:
https://firstaidcalgary.ca/cpr-courses/
After the award ceremony, Snow received another message from the woman’s son:
She is still doing very well.
Thanks to quick thinking, proper training, and teamwork, one family avoided a tragic outcome.
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