Remarkable thinking on her feet
On an evening in February 2025, a toll booth operator at the Macdonald Bridge in Halifax radioed in about a stopped vehicle on the bridge, and Security Guard Payton Deeble was called to the scene.
Upon approaching the car, Security Guard Payton discovered a man inside. He was unresponsive, slumped back, and his eyes were open. Trying to reach him, she discovered the car doors were locked. She quickly enlisted the help of a passing motorist, who used a tire iron to break the rear window, allowing her to unlock the doors.
Security Guard Payton and the passing motorist pulled the man from the car and laid him on the bridge deck, discovering that he had no pulse. Payton knew she had to act fast, and ran to her patrol vehicle to retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED), while a second bystander started chest compressions on the unconscious man. She had trained on the AED device, but had never used it while on duty before.
The first two shocks had no effect, but after the third, a weak pulse returned to the man. By the time paramedics arrived, the man was still unconscious – but alive, and is now recovering in hospital.
For Security Guard Payton, the experience was unforgettable: “It was the most intense thing I’ve ever experienced,” she told us afterward. The incident reinforced her passion for helping others. “I love my job,” she says, appreciative of the hands-on experience it provides.
Thank you for your commitment, Security Guard Payton!
Canadian Security Lifesaver Association®