Calgary First Aid: Newly Trained Bystander Saves Kitchener Man’s Life with CPR
A Kitchener man is alive today because a stranger—who had learned CPR only two weeks earlier—stepped forward at the most critical moment. For Jessica Burman Zinger, the woman who watched her husband collapse in front of her eyes, this young man is not just a hero but “an angel.”
This post is based on reporting from CBC News. You can read the full original article here:
👉 Man learned CPR 2 weeks ago, saves Kitchener heart attack victim’s life
🎥 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTyoscIM3ic&t=3s
A Terrifying Moment Outside a Local Coffee Shop
Jessica and her husband, 40-year-old Lane Burman, were on their way to Smile Tiger Coffee after freeing their car from a snow drift. As they crossed Victoria Street, Lane suddenly collapsed.
“I just saw him fall and I thought, did he trip?” Jessica told CBC. “And then I could see the life draining out of him… I knew it was his heart.”
Lane has a history of heart arrhythmia, and in seconds, Jessica found herself pleading for help.
“I just called out, ‘Does anyone know CPR?’ And someone did.”
A Young Man Steps Up—and Starts CPR Immediately
Nearby pedestrians rushed to move Lane off the road. Among them was a young man who didn’t hesitate—he began performing CPR on the unresponsive father and husband.
Jessica called 911 while watching her husband turn blue.
“Basically, he looked dead… I thought it was over right there.”
Then something remarkable happened.
As CPR continued, Lane suddenly regained consciousness, gasped for breath, and briefly opened his eyes. He scanned the crowd until he found his wife, looking directly at her before slipping out again. Jessica could barely watch, praying the ambulance would arrive in time.
CPR Kept Him Alive
Paramedics rushed Lane to hospital, where he survived what could easily have been a fatal heart attack. Jessica later met the young man who had saved him—he had also gone to the hospital to check on Lane.
His name was Dylan Duncan, and he had completed his CPR certification just two weeks earlier.
Jessica hugged him, overcome with gratitude.
“I just said, ‘You saved a father and a husband’s life today.’”
Searching for Their Hero
Jessica assumed it would be easy to find Dylan later, but social media made reconnecting difficult. She posted publicly, hoping the community could help. Around the same time, Christian Horizons, an organization supporting people with developmental disabilities, shared a post celebrating Dylan.
They wrote that Dylan was waiting for a bus on his way to work when he saw Lane collapse. Police and medical staff later told him that his CPR likely made the difference between life and death.
Dylan had been pursuing culinary studies at Humber College, where he was required to complete First Aid/CPR training as part of his program. That training—taken just weeks before the emergency—proved invaluable.
“Dylan, you’re our hero,” the post read.
Jessica wholeheartedly agrees.
“This man doing the CPR… it saved [Lane’s] heart, it saved his brain, it saved everything. My life would be totally different right now if it wasn’t for him.”
The Power of CPR Training
This story highlights a simple, life-changing truth:
Anyone can save a life with CPR—yes, even someone newly trained.
Dylan’s quick actions kept oxygen flowing to Lane’s brain and heart during those critical minutes before paramedics arrived. Without CPR, survival rates drop dramatically with each passing minute.
If you’ve ever wondered whether CPR training is worth your time, this story is your answer.
To learn how to perform CPR and step in confidently during an emergency, explore our CPR and AED programs:
👉 https://firstaidcalgary.ca/cpr-courses/
Become Someone’s Hero
Learning CPR gives you the skills—and the confidence—to act when it matters most.
Consider enrolling in a certified first aid and CPR course. You never know whose life you may impact.
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