BPS teacher gifted Super Bowl tickets after saving woman with CPR

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Buffalo Public Schools teacher was gifted Super Bowl LVIII tickets after he performed life-saving measures to help a woman in December.

James Damon, a science teacher at Emerson School of Hospitality, was gifted two tickets by Highmark, with the Buffalo Bills and Damar Hamlin, in recognition of his actions following a car crash on I-190 on Dec. 5, 2023, Highmark announced.

‘She needed help’: BPS teacher performs CPR on 190, saves another driver’s life

Damon was driving on the 190 when he noticed a vehicle driving erratically and called 911. He slowly drove next to the vehicle before it ultimately crashed into a median.

Following the crash, Damon parked in front of the vehicle and, through an open window, put the vehicle in neutral and attempted to wake the unresponsive driver. Damon was able to pull the driver from the vehicle and perform CPR on the shoulder of the road.

Damon, who is CPR certified, has since been credited with saving the woman’s life.

The woman, who was said to have been having a medical emergency, was taken to an area hospital following the incident.

“While I am incredibly humbled by the fact that Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Buffalo Bills have honored me for my actions, my hope is that this story raises awareness about the importance of knowing life-saving CPR,” Damon said in a release. “My CPR training comes from my previous experience as a coach, and I encourage everyone to become CPR certified; you never know when you may be able to help someone’s loved one.”

Since his cardiac arrest in January 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has continued to bring awareness to CPR and AED training.

Bills teammates nominate Damar Hamlin for Ed Block Courage Award

Through the combined efforts of Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills, and Highmark, thousands of Western New Yorkers were CPR-certified at training events at Highmark Stadium and Johnnie B. Wiley Sports Pavilion.

Super Bowl LVII, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, is scheduled for Feb. 11.

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Emily Miller is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2022. See more of her work here.

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