Quick-thinking strangers recognized for saving man in roadside cardiac emergency

A delivery driver who blocked a roadway to halt traffic and recruit help and two motorists who rushed to assist were recognized Tuesday after working together to aid a man suffering a medical emergency behind the wheel.

On Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, Frontenac Paramedics Station 2 at 905 Woodbine Road in Kingston hosted the recognition ceremony, where Tim Keeling and his family personally thanked the citizens who saved his life last year. Mayor Bryan Paterson and representatives from Frontenac Paramedics and Kingston Fire & Rescue were also on hand, acknowledging the courageous actions of the civilians and first responders with certificates and words of appreciation.

Tyler Yule was making a routine delivery in a NAPA Auto Parts truck when he noticed a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road without hazard lights. At first he assumed the vehicle was broken down, but as he drove past, he saw the driver slumped over in his seat.

The man’s wife appeared distressed, and their dog was “freaking out," Yule said.

“I thought 'there’s no way they’re just sitting there for no reason,'” he said.

Yule pulled his truck across the roadway, blocking both lanes and stopping traffic. Then he approached passing drivers to ask for help.

“I stopped as many cars as I could,” he said. “I was telling people, ‘This dude’s having a heart attack. I’m trying to get people to help me out with him.’”

Among those who stopped were Charles Nicholas and Samantha Armstrong, who had been on their way to the hospital to visit a family member. They said they immediately understood the urgency when Yule flagged them down at an intersection, and when he explained the situation, they both jumped out of their vehicle to help.

When they reached the car, they found Keeling unresponsive and the vehicle still in drive. With the help of several other bystanders, they pulled Keeling from the car and moved him safely to the roadside.

“It was surreal,” Nicholas said. “You know what people are talking about when they say time slows down — it happened.”

Some bystanders began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Keeling, while emergency crews arrived within minutes and took over care.

All three rescuers said they acted out of instinct rather than formal training.

“When somebody needed help, we just did it,” Armstrong said. “There was no question about it.”

Yule said he was motivated in part by what he learned in school about the “bystander effect” — the tendency for people to hesitate to intervene in emergencies when others are present.

“If you see something like that, you’ve got to break that [effect] immediately,” he said. “Once you break it, everyone follows.”

The three were honoured at Tuesday’s ceremony, where Keeling’s family thanked the passersby for their quick thinking and willingness to intervene.

Yule attributed the outcome to the response of ordinary people, saying, “There were many great people out there that were able to help."

All three said they hope their experience encourages others not to hesitate in similar situations.

“Look at what’s going on, and help as much as you can,” Nicholas said, adding, “I think most people are like that anyway.”

Frontenac Paramedics' Jessica MacKay, Trevor Roffey, and Julie Socha, as well as Kingston Fire and Rescue's Don Newton, Sebastien Lalonde, Joshua Blackburn, and Leslie Feeny, were also involved in the lifesaving response and recognized for their efforts to save Keeling.