A Salt Spring Island RCMP officer is being credited with saving a man’s life after responding to a wellness check earlier this year.On April 4, Cst. Lloyd was called to check on an elderly man whose out-of-province family had not heard from him in several months. When Lloyd arrived at the man’s home, he found the senior living in unhealthy conditions. Although the man insisted he was fine and refused help, the officer stayed with him for over an hour, building rapport and eventually convincing him to go to the hospital.The man returned to the RCMP detachment on July 17 to thank the officer and staff, revealing that he had been unknowingly suffering from internal bleeding. Doctors told him he would likely have died within 24 hours if not for the intervention that led to his treatment.“What started as a standard call became something far more profound,” said Chief Supt. Bruce Singer, commanding officer for the Island District RCMP. He praised the officer’s compassion and patience, calling it an example of acting not just out of duty, but out of genuine care for another human being.
