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When an overdose occurs, time is of the essence, which is why the Mounties have since been issued naloxone kits that temporarily block or reverse the effects of opioid medications.

While the officer began attending to the man, a woman in another vehicle pulled up to report that she had narrowly escaped being hit by the same truck.

Recognizing the severity of the situation and understanding it would be at least 20 minutes until an ambulance could arrive, the officer and the woman loaded the unresponsive man into the back of the truck and performed CPR while the truck barrelled down the highway to the nearest hospital.

Photo by Bloom, David / 20077604A

“Our officer quickly made the decision that (he) needs to get this person to medical attention ASAP, and the best way is to go right now,” Ryan said.

The footage, captured by another officer’s dashboard-mounted camera as the Mountie followed the truck down the highway, shows the officer doing chest compressions while the Good Samaritan performs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

“Without any regard for their own safety, our officer responded,” Ryan said.

When they arrived at hospital, the overdosing man was already in full cardiac arrest.

“The medical personnel told our folks that if these two individuals — our officer and this very community-minded female — hadn’t done what they had done, he would have died,” said Ryan, adding, “They saved his life.”

After what Ryan described as a long journey toward healing, the 27-year-old man — who is from Edmonton but was visiting Athabasca — has since made a miraculous recovery due in no small part to the quick action of an Athabasca RCMP officer and a concerned citizen.

The RCMP did not release the names of the officer or the Good Samaritan.

Athabasca is about 145 km north of Edmonton.