Calgary student teacher recognized for saving a life

The Calgary Catholic School District honoured a student teacher for saving a young student’s life at their meeting on Wednesday evening.

Derek Cooper was teaching at St. Francis High School in the city’s northwest when Grade 10 student Jayden Mazurek crashed through a window, severing a femoral artery.

“I had actually left for the day and I needed to buy a new computer cable so I ran over to the mall and realized I had forgotten something at the school, went back and decided to work for a few minutes — and so I was in my classroom which was just down the hall from where it happened and I heard the crash of glass.”

“I thought they were just screwing around and I didn’t even think someone could be hurt at the time and I came around the corner and saw Jayden,” he said.

Mazurek had been waiting for rugby tryouts and was tackled by a friend; the collision sent the pair hurtling through the window.

“I severed my femoral artery, my nerve, and vein,” said Mazurek who landed on a shard at the bottom. “Well I was just thinking okay I’m in trouble now, I’m going to be in lots of trouble, that was my first thought, and then I tried to get up and I fell and then I guess I looked at myself and there was blood.”

He told his friends to call 911. He credits Cooper, who ran over to the young man and applied pressure to the wound, as the person who saved his life.

Paramedics arrived within seven minutes and whisked him to the hospital.

“It’s truly amazing and I’m really thankful for what he did and the fact that he was there, it’s really awesome.”

Cooper had a hard time taking credit for his actions and tells 660 NEWS there was an amazing group of teachers there with him, helping out during the ordeal.

“I’m just very grateful, it was a great experience with the Calgary Catholic Board and I’m ready to go (into the workforce), I can’t wait,” he said.

“I’m very grateful to have been there in the right place at the right time.”