Friends, colleagues remembering Toronto paramedic as a hero in life and in death

After a car crossed the centre line on a Haliburton County highwayand hit a group of motorcyclists, George Eliadiswas among those seriously injured.

It was the kind ofscene he'd experienced many times in his nearly three decades as a Toronto paramedic.But on Saturday, the 52-year-old Uxbridge resident was on the other side, inneed of medical aid and hovering close to death.

• Toronto paramedic among 2 killed in weekend crash in Haliburton County

Even in his final moments on Highway 118, Eliadis was still thinking of someone other than himself, said GeorgeChristopoulos, his friend since elementary school.

"When he was hit and anguishing in pain, the paramedics who responded to the scene went to him," Christopoulostold CBC Toronto.

Instead,Eliadistold them to take care of his partnerShari Keyes-Williams, according to an account of Eliadis' deathshared with Christopoulosby his friend's family.

"Paramedics went to her," he said. "By the time they had returned, he had passed."

Keyes-Williams, 42, diedas well, while two other motorcyclists are seriously injured in the wake of a Chrysler PT Cruiser crossing the highway's centre line and hitting them.

Now,Christopoulosand his friend's former colleagues are remembering Eliadis as a dedicated paramedic whose passion for helping others continued until his death.

Eliadis 'proudly served' for 27 years

"He spent over 25 years saving people and bringing them back to life when he was on the road at work," Christopoulos said, recounting his friend's anecdotes about bringing people from accident scenes to hospital or getting their pulse back at the scene.

In an emotional interview on Monday at Toronto Paramedic Services' headquarters in North York, spokesperson Kim McKinnon said Eliadis's colleagues are "shocked" by his sudden death.

Eliadis was known for his emergency planning work for some of Toronto's biggest events, she said, including the Pan Am Games, Caribana, and Pride.

"He was so highly respected by everyone," she said.

"George proudly served for 27 years with the city's paramedic services where he helped Toronto residents during emergencies," echoed Mayor John Tory in a statement.

Eliadis was also a loving father of two,Christopoulossaid, a new grandfather, and longtime partner toKeyes-Williams.

The OPP has not said if charges will be laid in connection withthe crash, which happenedbetween Trappers Trail andEssonvilleLine in Highlands East Township,north of Peterborough.