The call came in shortly after 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, 2022.
It was reported a male was “vsa” (vital signs absent) in a vestibule of Trinity United Church. The entrance to the church is on Division Street, but it’s common for homeless to congregate in the vestibule that is on Chapel Street directly across from Transition House.
Sirens wailing, emergency lights activated, paramedics, police and the fire department arrived almost simultaneously and rushed to the scene.
People who knew the person in distress stood by and watched.
For several minutes, the man lay motionless. He was given Narcan (a medication used to revese the effects of opioids) at least once, and was revived when he was taken to hospital for further treatment.
A Cobourg man (we’ll call Steve to protect his identity) was in the right place at the right time to help the person out along with others before emergency services arrived.
For the last year, the 53-year-old has been “couch surfing” trying to get his life in order. Steve spoke to Today’s Northumberland in-depth about the issues surrounding homelessness and drugs in the community.
Steve said he’s assisted in saving the lives of 16 people over the last year who have overdosed.
In different times, he’d be hailed as a hero. Amongst the drug culture – it’s just a way of life.
Sunday was the second time he’s helped the person on Chapel Street. Prior to this incident, the person overdosed at Transition House.
On Sunday, Steve was just riding his bicycle when he was waved down by someone asking if he had Narcan.
“I ran up to the porch (of the church).”
“He was blue. His lips were turning yellow. I started looking for my Narcan at the same time.”
But realized he’d taken the Narcan out of his backpack earlier that morning.
Another bystander ran up to Transition House and started banging on the door to hopefully get a Narcan kit, but Today’s Northumberland has learned that Transition House was closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. due to a staffing shortly displacing 15 people for the day.
A neighbour actually saw the commotion and dropped a overdose kit from a window near Transition House before emergency services arrived.
That particular kit had an intravenous and wasn’t something Steve was familiar with.
Steve placed the man in a position where his airway remained open and tried his best with chest compressions. Emergency services arrived shortly after and treated the person.
By the time he was loaded into the ambulance he was talking to people.
Without the intervention, Steve said, “he would have died for sure.”
Steve said he’s been homeless for at least a year, sleeping at friends houses or at Transition House.
“I used up my time there (Transition House) and then had to move on.”
“You’re supposed to have 90-days, but there is more than a couple that have been there a year or two years.”
Steve said it’s not uncommon for fights to break out inside or have something stolen.
“It’s not ideally how T-House wanted to run things.”
Steve said, the warming room that operated out of St. Peter’s Anglican Church during the winter, “was a joke.”
“It was just a drop in centre for drug use.”
Local dealers would hang around the facility and it was commonly known.
During his time on and around the street, Steve said often the homeless people tend to keep an eye out for one another.
Earlier on Sunday he spoke to the person who had overdosed. He was laying nearby up against a fence. Steve asked him how he was and he said he was just laying in the shade up against the fence.
Looking back on how he got where he is today, Steve said he realizes it’s his fault. But drugs played a major role.
He was married, had children, but drugs took over.
His wife warned him that, “I had so long to get my shit together.”
Then the landlord kicked them out of the house. The owner had plans to renovate the house and sell it.
His wife found a place to stay with the children, but Steve was out on the street – addicted.
“I stayed at a few friends houses here and there and tried to work in between trying to get back into the work force.”
Over time he’s used crack and cocaine. He only does the occasional crystal meth now he says.
Steve is attending narcotics anonymous and is doing well.
“When I go away from this town – I don’t do it at all.”
Being a regular downtown Steve would keep track on people like himself.
But when he was away, Kory Trenouth died in a bank vestibule in downtown Cobourg on June 30. He looks down and the pavement and you can feel the guilt he carries.
“I come downtown every night and I’m always looking for whose doing what and where – it’s like taking attendance.”
“When somebody goes missing for a day-and-a-half you wonder where they are? Check the hospital. Have they scored some money and got supplies and they’re gone out to a tent or wherever they are staying. But they could be dead in a tent – you don’t know.”
Overall, Steve said the first thing homeless people need that are in his position is a roof over their head.
“You need to be at a place, then go to work and restore the values and the work ethics.”
Along with that, they have to be monitored to keep them on the right path.
People who are rehabilitating are often prescribed methadone which is a synthetic opioid used to treat addiction to heroin or other opioids.
“Methadone does wonders for some people but a lot of people just get it and sell it. They’re replacing drugs with drugs.”
In fact, he said any drug is easy to find in Cobourg.
“Drugs, pills, anything.”
The dealers are one of the main problems.
“There are a lot of locals that are the dealers themselves, but they’re getting it from somewhere.” “We don’t make the stuff here. It’s brought in.”
When drug users get $30 gift cards for food, they will sometimes trade them for drugs.
“In this town, people know where the (drug) houses are.”
Steve’s answer is to expand the treatment centres and let more people in that want the help.
“But there are some people that have been there eight or nine times. Some people just can’t be helped.”
For Steve, his goal was, and still is to have a normal life. What he once had.
At this point he said it’s “borderline” but something he works at day by day to achieve.
“Through narcotics anonymous and the 12-step program, it’s always been my obligation as a drug addict in recovery that whenever somebody reaches out their hand for help, that you help them.”
“I swear by that – 16 people later.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
