Meet Esther Corado, Heather Bozsik & Leah Huggins, WestJet’s 2021 Safety Above All Award winners
Heather Bozsik, Customer Service Agent, Leah Huggins, Guest Service Manager, and Esther Corado, Guest Service Lead, all from the WestJet team in Toronto, are our Safety Above All Award winners from 2021. The award was presented to these three exceptional WestJetters for their life-saving response during a medical emergency.
In July 2021, Heather noticed a gentleman calling for help and quickly jumped into action, following him, only to find another man laying unresponsive on the floor. She called for help and began chest compressions as her colleagues, Leah and Esther rushed to the scene.
Putting their first aid training to use in a real-life emergency, the three WestJetters alternated as they continued chest compressions for seven minutes, while keeping the scene and worried onlookers calm, until the Fire Department and EMS arrived to take over, at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Through their caring and selfless actions that day, Esther, Heather and Leah saved a life, demonstrating what it means to put Safety Above All.
We sat down with Esther, Heather, and Leah to ask them a few questions about WestJet and what being Safety Above All winners means to them:
What’s your favorite WestJet destination?
Esther:
Hawaii, specifically the island of Oahu. When I'm not there, I miss it almost daily. I love the friendly people, the aloha vibes, the delicious food trucks, the tasty açai bowls, the mesmerizing sunsets, the countless beaches, and the adventurous hikes.
Heather:
So far it has been St. Maarten. Beautiful beaches, great people, and amazing food!
Leah:
Hawaii! I have been very lucky to have gone a few times!
What’s your favorite WestJet memory?
Esther:
There are so many. But some of the highlights have been during the worst IROPs, when all of us band together and come out, even through the toughest of circumstances.
Heather:
When working in YEG, we used to make the holiday dinners ourselves in a potluck style. It was always great to see what the other agents would bring in to share with the group. It was such a nice sense of family, since I wasn't able to spend holidays with my own, I spent it with my work family.
Leah:
Definitely the WestJet Christmas miracle, where we asked guests what they wanted for Christmas and these gifts were given to them upon arrival. To this day we still get asked about this at Christmas time.
What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Esther:
I'm looking forward to further growth. I can't wait to spend more time with family and friends and to travel to new places.
Heather:
Hopefully ramping back up and seeing new destinations!
Leah:
Travelling again, being healthy, and getting to see and be with my family and friends!
What does winning a WestJet Group Award mean to you?
Esther:
It has all been very unexpected. If I'm honest, I feel uncomfortable with the attention, but I'm honoured. What happened that day was a group effort and I'm happy we were in the right place, at the right time to help someone in need.
Heather:
It has been a humbling experience. We just went out and did what we do every day - help guests to the best of our abilities. I am glad and proud that such a calm and strong management team were there to help.
Thank you to WestJet for recognizing us, as well as all the others who won awards.
Leah:
Wow, what an honor it has been to receive this award along with my fellow WestJetters.
I’m still really overwhelmed with the fact that I won, and I share it with my entire team, because this award really is the true everyday spirit of all WestJetters. I am extremely proud and humbled by this.
