Ottawa boy, 8, saves man nearly buried in snow

Ottawa paramedics are thanking an eight-year-old boy for saving an elderly man who was almost completely buried in snow during a blizzard Monday morning.

In a tweet, the Ottawa Paramedic Service said Clayton McGuire had spotted the man near his home and immediately told his parents, who called 911.

"The gentleman was almost all covered due to the huge snowfall when Clayton spotted him," the paramedic service said.

"A man, I saw him on the floor. Went to go my mom and dad straight away," Clayton told CTV News Ottawa, describing the scene. 

Clayton's dad Joey McGuire said he checked on the man as soon as he was outside.

"I asked the man if he was okay. He seemed like he was hurt; he couldn’t get up, he couldn’t walk, he had no strength at all," McGuire explained. "Looked like he had been down there for at least 20 minutes, maybe longer, because he was totally covered in snow."

McGuire says he and his wife brought the man up to their stairs, sat him down and got him a blanket. Clayton made him a hot chocolate while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

The man was assessed at the scene but ultimately decided not to go to the hospital, according to paramedics.

A major snowstorm had dumped more than 40 cm of snow on Ottawa Monday, with rapid accumulation during the morning hours. Environment Canada said 12 cm fell between 8 and 9 a.m.

Ottawa mayor Jim Watson applauded Clayton's actions, calling him an "amazing and very kind person." Others are calling him a hero for his quick thinking and sharp eyes.

"I’m very proud of him," McGuire said of his son. "He’s awesome."